It may be observed, that although many of the bird tribe seem to prefer
the vicinity of the residence of man for their domicile, yet they, for
the most part, avoid cities and large towns, for one, among other
reasons, because there is no food for them. There are, notwithstanding,
some remarkable exceptions to this. The _House Sparrow_ is to be seen, I
believe, in every part of London. There is a rookery in the Tower; and
another was, till lately, in Carlton Palace Gardens; but the trees having
been cut down to make room for the improvements going on there, the rooks
removed in (1827,) to some trees behind the houses in New-street,
Spring-gardens. There was also, for many years, a rookery on the trees in
the churchyard of St. Dunstan's in the East, a short distance from the
Tower; the rooks for some years past deserted that spot, owing, it is
believed, to the fire that occurred a few years ago at the old Custom
House. But in 1827, they began again to build on those trees, which are
not elm, but a species of plane. There was also, formerly, a rookery on
some large elm trees in the College Garden behind the Ecclesiastical
Court in Doctors' Commons, a curious anecdote concerning which has been
recorded.
The _Stork_, and some other of the tribe of waders, are occasionally also
inhabitants of some of the continental towns.
Rooks appear to be peculiarly partial to building their nests in the
vicinity of the residence of man. Of the numerous rookeries of which I
have any recollection, most of them were a short distance from dwelling
houses. In March, 1827, there was a rookery on some trees, neither very
lofty nor very elegant, in the garden of the Royal Naval Asylum, at
Greenwich; and although many very fine and lofty elms are in the park
near, which one might naturally suppose the rooks would prefer, yet, such
is the fact, there is not even one rook's nest in Greenwich Park.
Possibly the company of so large a number of boys, and the noise which
they make, determine these birds in the choice of such a place for their
procreating domicile.
There is also a remarkable fact related by Mr. French, on the authority
of Dr. Spurgin, in the second volume of the _Zoological Journal_, which
merits attention, in regard to the rook.
A gentleman occupied a farm in Essex, where he had not long resided
before numerous rooks built their nests on the trees surrounding his
premises; the rookery was much prized; the farmer, however, being induced
to hire a larger farm about three quarters of a mile distant, he left the
farm and the rookery; but, to his surprise and pleasure, the whole
rookery deserted their former habitation and came to the new one of their
old master, where they continue to flourish. It ought to be added, that
this gentleman was strongly attached to all animals whatsoever, and of
course used them kindly.
The _Swallow_, _Swift_, and _Martin_, seem to have almost deserted
London, although they are occasionally, though not very plentifully, to
be seen in the suburbs. Two reasons may be assigned for this relative to
the swallow; flies are not there so plentiful as in the open country; and
most of the chimneys have conical or other contracted tops to them,
which, if they do not preclude, are certainly no temptation to their
building in such places; the top of a chimney being, as is well known,
its favourite site for its nest. The _Martin_ is also scarce in London.
But, during the summer of 1820, I observed a _Martin's_ nest against a
blind window in Goswell Street Road, on the construction of which the
_Martins_ were extremely busy in the early part of the month of August. I
have since seen many _Martins_, (August, 1826,) busily engaged in
skimming over a pool in the fields, to the south of Islington: most of
these were, I conjecture, young birds, as they were brown, not black; but
they had the _white_ on the rump, which is characteristic of the species.
A few days afterwards I observed several _Martin's_ nests in a blind
window on Islington-Green. And, Sept. 20, of the same year, I saw from
the window of my present residence, in Dalby Terrace, City Road, many
similar birds actively on the wing.
The _Redbreast_ has been, I am told, occasionally seen in the
neighbourhood of Fleet-market and Ludgate-hill. I saw it myself before
the window of my present residence, Dalby Terrace, in November, 1825, and
in Nov. 1826, the _Wren_ was seen on the shrubs in the garden before the
house at Dalby Terrace; it was very lively and active, and uttered its
peculiar _chit, chit_.
The _Starling_ builds on the tower at Canonbury, in Islington; and the
_Baltimore Oriole_ is, according to Wilson, found very often on the trees
in some of the American cities; but the _Mocking-bird_, that used to be
very common in the American suburban regions, is, it is said, now
becoming more rare, particularly in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia.
The _Thrush_ was also often heard in the gardens behind York-place,
during the spring of 1826. I heard it myself in delightful song early in
March, 1826, among the trees near the canal, on the north side of the
Regent's Park.
Some of the migratory birds approach much nearer to London than is
generally imagined. The _Cuckoo_ and _Wood-pigeon_ are heard occasionally
in Kensington-gardens. The _Nightingale_ approaches also much nearer to
London than has been commonly supposed. I heard it in melodious song at
seven o'clock in the morning, in the wood near Hornsey-wood House, May
10, 1826, which is, I believe, the nearest approach to St. Paul's it has
been for some time known to make. It is also often heard at Hackney and
Mile-end. I have also heard it regularly for some years past in a garden
near the turnpike-gate on the road leading from London to Greenwich, a
short distance from the third mile stone from London-Bridge. This
charming bird may be also heard, during the season, in Greenwich Park,
particularly in the gardens adjoining Montagu-house; but never, I
believe, on its lofty trees. The _Nightingale_ prefers copses and bushes
to trees; the _Cuckoo_, on the contrary, prefers trees, and of these the
elm, from which it most probably obtains its food. The _Nightingale_ is
also common at Lee and Lewisham, Forest-hill, Sydenham, and Penge-wood;
in all these places, except Hackney and Mile-end, I have myself often
heard it, and in the day-time. Those who are partial to the singing of
birds generally, will find the morning, from four to nine o'clock, the
most favourable time for hearing them----_Jennings's Ornithologia_.
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