A Lilting Song,

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 2 October 1934, Page 6

A Lilting Song,

Nature Notes.

By

James Drummond,

F.L.S.. F.Z.S.

THE CHAFFINCH'S SONG is heard at X present near the fringes of forests, along country roads, and in parks, orchards and public and suburban gardens. A New Zealand naturalist could hear in it only “ twink, twink,” followed by “ tweet, tweet, tweet.” Tracing a joyous strain in the song, the French have a saying, “As gay as a chaffinch.” To Mr W. 11. Hudson’s trained ears the notes were joyous and loud. They were much more to John Burroughs. This oldtime English naturalist wrote: “ The song, rapid, loud and incessant, is very characteristic. Through May, and probably during all the spring months, the chaffinch makes two-thirds of the music that ordinarily is heard by people who walk or drive about the country in England. In Scotland, at Allowav. where chaffinches are called shilfa, there was one for every tree, and their hurried and incessant notes met and intersected one another from all directions every minute of the day, like wavelets on a summer pool. So many birds, and each so persistent and so vociferous, account for the choir. “ The song begins with a rapid trill. This quickly becomes a sharp jingle, then slides into a warble, and ends with an abrupt flourish. I never heard any other song that began so liltingly and ended with such a quick, abrupt emphasis.”.