Frosted Songs Nevertheless a doubt intrudes itself. Perhaps some of
the birds were not so late after all. A cuckoo was heard and seen in Surrey on April 4th. It was not heard again till the 21st, a surprising period of silence. The explanation may well be that the weather was too cold for song. Many birds quite refuse to sing or nest when the temperature is low. They behave almost like bees. More than this they are for the most part matutinal or vespertinal in habit ; they sing of a morning or evening ; and the feature of this spring has been the extreme challenges of the morning and evening hours. About 5 a.m. is the favourite singing hour at this date, and at that time the ground has generally been white with frost. Often the bees have not emerged till after midday ; and then have crowded in exceptional force round the edge of the bird bath. They were thirsty as well as cold, and perhaps the birds too found it harder than usual to wet their whistle.
*
Previous page
