The wren does not migrate in the winter. She builds her nest in an ivy tree or in a thorny hedge. Her nest is made of fog and feathers and is very cozy and haped like a ball. It has two entrances, one by which the bird enters, and she leaves the nest by the other. They are both on the sides of the nest. The eggs which are about twenty in number are brown with red dots. She is sometimes called the “scutty wren”. In some parts the “wren boys” bring a wren round with them in a little box. If the people of the house refuge to give the “wren boys” money they threaten to buy the wren at the door. This is supposed to bring bad luck for the year. The wren is the bird that betrayed Our Lord. The “wren boys” used to say “The wren, the wren, the king of all birds

Some people would tell you that it is not right to let a wren build in the eaves of houses because when St. Stephen was going to be killed, he hid up in a tree but the wren [give?] gave some sign to his enemies telling them where he was and he was stoned to death, therefore it is said that the wren is a bad bird. It is said that if every egg that the wren (would) lays, if it were broken that it would lay and lay away until it would die.

soldiers followed Our Lord and since that day the wren is said to be cursed.

she puts clay around it. She lays four blue eggs with brown dots on them. The wren and the sparrow build their nests out of moss and feathers. The wren leaves a little hole for it to go into the nest. The sparrow lays four white eggs with brown dots on them. The swallow makes her nest out of sand and lime and she lays four white eggs with black dots on them. The robin makes her nest out of moss and horse hair and she lays four white eggs with brown dots on them. The wren lays seventeen white eggs with brown dots on them. The people say if you take a wren’s egg, out of her nest, the wren will lay on every day till it dies. The corncrake makes her nest out of hay and grass and she lays two white eggs with black dots on them. It takes a month for the birds to hatch their eggs. If any body robbs the a bird’s nest the bird will for sake it. If you put your breath near it the bird will for sake it also. When the swallows fly low its a sign of bad weather. When the seagull flies high over a bridge it is a sign of good weather.

in and a little hole for the bird to fly out and in. It is lined with feathers. Of all small birds the wren lays the greatest number of eggs, and if the eggs are taken away all but one the wren will keep on laying until it dies.
In by gone days the wren was a hated bird. There a certain day set aside every winter for hunting the wren, but like all other birds, it was left in peace.

good weather. There are stories told about the robin and the wren.
When the robin had no red breast Our Lord was crucified on the cross. The robin went to Our Lord and took a thorn out of his head and a drop of his blood fell on the robin's breast, and that is how the robin got its red breast.
Long ago the birds wished to have a king and they did not know what bird was to be made king. At last one of the birds said that the bird which could fly the highest would be made king. So all the birds came to the same place. The wren knew the eagle could fly the highest. When the birds began the task, the wren got on the eagle's back and the eagle flew as high as he could and he called out "I am the king". Then the wren got off the eagles back a flew a few yards higher and said "No," "I am the king." Then the wren became

And July she flies away.

The lark is a very good singing bird. They are found in the mosses. They are supposed to be one of the best singers of the wild birds. It is lovely to listen to the lark as he soars high up in the air singing his song. Their song is made up of different notes such as, "Chee, chee, chee, chitter, chitter, chee," and so on for about fifteen minutes. They build their nest among heather in the moss. They lay about five eggs. You cannot find a larks nest by watching them soaring down to it, because they do not light at the nest. They light about six yards away from the nest, and walk through the heather to it. They have a little path made by doing this.
The wren is one of the smallest of the wild birds. They are fairly common in this district. The wren builds a round nest with a hole in one side of it. It does not look like a nest at all. They lay about ten eggs. You could not get you hand into the wrens nest. The wren sings a short twiter of a song in a bush. Ig you take an egg away every day from a wren's nest she will not know and she will lay more and more until she thinks she has enough laid. This is called "Milking the wren."
A blind bat is like a mouse with wings. They are seen flying about catching flies on a spring night. They stay about eaves of houses in the day-time.

Story
Why the wren's tail is turned up. Long long ago when the wrens tail was straight like any other birds She did not build a nest like a nest like what she does now and this is how the change came. When Mrs Wren began to lay she layed so many eggs that when her young ones were hatched they fell one by one out of the nest and soon all her children were lost. Then Mr Wren thought he would have to make a better nest so he so he built the old nest's sides higher and higher until its sides met all but a little hole in one side; he thought that their children could not fall out now. Mrs Wren layed her eggs in the new nest but she had to keep her tail up and with sitting so long her tail grew into that shape. And that is why the wrens tail is turned up.

When St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin and the Little Child were going to Egypt out of Herods way, the blood was pouring from St. Josephs' feet. The little robin thinking that the soldiers would be following took leaves and covered the spots where the blood was. That is the reason why the robin got the red breast. In the evening late the soldiers came along the road. They saw men working in a field and inquired of them if they saw the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph and the Little Child. There happened to be a wren sitting on a tree and it had heard all the talk between the soldiers and the men. When the soldiers were ready to go home again the wren began to chirp as much to say they went that way. The soldiers did not understand the wren and then went home.
One time the people used to have good sport hunting the wren at Christmas.

The Wren which is one of the smallest birds makes a much larger nest than any of the other small birds. The Wren's nest is ball shaped with a hole in one side to allow it to come in and go out. In addition to its building a much larger nest than other small birds, the Wren always lays from thirteen to fifteen very small brown spotted eggs. This is a very much larger number of eggs than is laid by the other wild birds. The usual number for Sparrows, Robins, Chaffinches, Greenhammers, Blackbirds and Thrushes is four.

One day St. Columcille called all the birds together and said which ever of them would fly highest would be King of the Birds. Up the birds went and the eagle went the highest. Then wren flew off the eagle’s wing but in going up the eagle’s wing hit him and broke his back. The wren was King of the Birds but he could not fly high anymore.

The principal birds round this district are the robin the wren the lark and the blackbird.
Robin. The robin builds her nest in a bank or hedge, and her egg is a greenish-blue

The wild birds that are found in our district are the robin, wren, blackbird and the thrush. The robin builds its nest in the ditch, it makes it with moss and grass and hair and with feathers, she lays five eggs, they are white with brown spots, she sits on them three weeks. The wren builds its nest anywhere it makes it with moss and grass, she lays sixteen or seventeen eggs, they are white with

The eggs, which it lays are of a white and blue colour.
The swallow builds a nest of clay and sticks stuck closely together, in eaves of houses or in holes in walls. The wren builds its nest in a small bush or hedge. It is the only bird which roofs its nest, it (the nest) being covered completely, except for a little hole through which, the wren goes in and out. Although one of the smallest of birds the wren is the king of the birds. It is called the devil's bird and is hunted on St. Stephen's Day, the 26th of December.

The birds that are most commonly found in my district are, the crow, the swallow, the thrush, the robin, the wren, the magpie, and the blackbird. All the birds mentioned migrate except the robin and the wren. Thrushe's build their nests in the tree-tops also the crow, the blackbird and the magpie. They too build their nests in the tree-tops. The wren builds its nest in a hole in the wall. The robin in fences and bushes and the swallow in house-eaves. Most bird's nests are built of feathers, moss, and sticks, each bird building its nest to suit the size of its young. Most birds eggs are blue, green, brown, white and are nearly in every case spotted.
Bold boys are often tempted to disturb birds and rob

The wren is the smallest bird. It is called the King of the Birds. All the birds gathered one day to choose a king over them. Which ever one of them would soar up the highest would become king. The wren hid in the eagle's tail, and being so light the eagle did not know. When the eagles was unable to go any higher, the wren jumped out of the eagle's tail and went higher into the sky, and proclaimed himself king.
She builds her of moss, hay and feathers. It is round in shape, and a very tiny hole in one side. She lays five eggs, which are very small. They are of a white

There are a lot of birds commonly found in this district such as the robin, wren, blackbird thrush, cuckoo, pigeon, crow, swallow, lark mosscheeper, hawk, and owl. The swallow goes away to far off lands in Winter to be there when it is Summer
The robin and the wren build their nests in ditches. The blackbird and thrush build theirs in bushes. The pigeon and the crow build theirs on trees. The hawk builds hers in very high trees. The swallow builds hers in walls. The mosscheeper builds hers on mossy banks. The cuckoo builds no nest she lays her eggs in the mosscheepers nest. Some of them build their nests with sticks. Some with grass and mortar and some with wool. The robin lays five brown eggs. The wren lays ten white eggs. The blackbird lays four green eggs. The thrush lays five blue eggs. The pigeon lays two white eggs. The crow lays two blue eggs. The swallow lays up to ten brown eggs. The mosscheeper lays four black eggs. They sit on them three weeks. It is said if a boy would rob a bird's nest that he

Bird Lore
The wild birds commonly found in this district are wild geese, wild ducks, curlews, hawks, crows and pigeons. The other smaller birds are robins, wrens, blackbirds finches (an) linnets, swallows, larks + "Willie-wag-tails" The smaller birds stay about the houses looking for food particulary the robin. Some old people say that the robin rubbed his breast on our Lord's side when out Lord was dying and that is why he hasa red breast on our Lord's side when our Lord was dying and that is why he has a red breast ever since that. Some of the old people also say that it was the robin who (showed) told Herod's soldiers that (that) the Infant Jesus had gone to Egypt. The wren is sometimes called "the king of all birds." Some boys (hund) hunt him on Saint Stephen's Day the 26th of December. When Saint Colmcille put all the birds to fly to see which was going to be king the wren went on the eagles back and when the eagle was the highest of all the birds the wren jumped from his back and only flew the height of a man's knee from the eagle's back and it only flys that height ever since from the ground. One Saint Valentine's day the 14th of February that the birds get married. On this they will go fluttering and chirping about.

Bird Lore