The firetail tells the boys when nests are nigh <br />And tweets and flies from every passer-bye. <br />The yellowhammer never makes a noise <br />But flies in silence from the noisy boys; <br />The boys will come and take them every day, <br />And still she lays as none were ta'en away. <br /> <br />The nightingale keeps tweeting-churring round <br />But leaves in silence when the nest is found. <br />The pewit hollos 'chewrit' as she flies <br />And flops about the shepherd where he lies; <br />But when her nest is found she stops her song <br />And cocks [her] coppled crown and runs along. <br />Wrens cock their tails and chitter loud and play, <br />And robins hollo 'tut' and fly away.<br /><br />John Clare<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/birds-in-alarm/
