Ah! we must be near a Redwing's nest--what a commotion the colony is making!" "Colony?
I thought a colony was a lot of people who went off into a strange wild land and made a new home," said Nat.
"That is one meaning of the word, but another one is when a number of people of the same race or trade live close to each other.

A bird colony is a collection of the homes of many birds of the same family.

After the nesting season almost all birds live in flocks of different sizes, each particular kind flocking by itself; but during the migrations great flocks are often made up of smaller flocks of various kinds of birds.
During the nesting season it is quite different; the majority of birds prefer a quiet home life, each pair being independent of any others.
Certain flocks, however, keep together, and all build their nests in a particular swamp or wood, and sometimes, it is said, male birds build nests to sleep in while the females are sitting.

The Redwings nest in colonies; so do the Herons, who eat frogs and nest near water, and the little brown-cloaked Bank Swallows, who live in holes that they dig for themselves in high banks." There were some twenty pairs of birds in this Redwing colony, who seemed to be much frightened by the approach of visitors.
"Here is a nest in this alder bush," said the Doctor; "step carefully on the grass hummocks, and look at it for a moment, Nat.

See how neatly it is made of the dried leaves of flags and grasses, woven in and out between three upright stalks." "Isn't it pretty ?" said Nat; "so even and deep like a cup, and not at all ragged and mussy like a Robin's nest.