The Natural History of Selborne

Sowed-in the three-light annual frame African & French marigolds, China asters, pendulous Amaranths, Orange-gourds.  Took the blackbird’s nest the second time; it had squab young.

Timothy travels about the garden.

Two nightingales sing in my outlet.  Foliage of trees expands very fast.  Peat begins to be brought in: it is in good condition.  H. martins build.  The old Bantam hen began to sit in the barn on eleven eggs.  The fern-owl, or churn-owl returns, & chatters in the hanger.

The merise, or wild cherry in beautiful bloom.

Missel thrushes do not destroy the fruit in gardens like the other species of turdi, but feed on the berries of missel toe; & in the spring on ivy berries which then begin to ripen.  In the summer, when their young become fledge, they leave neighbourhoods, & retire to sheep walks, & wild commons.

The mag-pies, which probably have young, are now very ravenous, & destroy the broods of Missel-thrushes, tho’ the dams are fierce birds, & fight boldly in defence of their nests.  It is probably to avoid such insults, that this species of thrush, tho’ wild at other times, delights to build near houses, & in frequented walks, & gardens.

Damson, sloe-trees, & wild Merise blow.  Cock Red start.  There has been so little frost, that the Antirrhinum Cymb. flourished & blossomed the whole winter thro’, & is now very thriving, tho’ it usually dies about Xmass.  So that, in mild times, it is at least a biennial with us, & may be perhaps of longer duration in milder regions.  James Knight has observed two large fieldfares in the high wood lately, haunting the same part, as if they intended to breed there  They are not wild.  A nest of this sort of bird would be a great curiosity.

Some beeches begin to show leaves.  Sowed some fine Savoy seed from Newton.  Hen red-start appears.

Timothy eats.  A pair of Missel-thrushes have made a nest in the apple-tree near the fruit-wall.  One young half-fledged was found in the garden.

Sad, blowing, wintry weather.  I think I saw an house martin.  There is a bird of the black-bird kind, with white on the breast, that haunts my outlet as if it had a nest there.  Is this a ring-ouzel?  If it is, it must be a great curiosity; because they have not been known to breed in these parts.