The Song Thrush Poem by Francis Duggan

Introduced to Melbourne where they do seem rare
The thrush that was made famous by John Clare
In his famed poem known as The Thrush's Nest
About the brown bird with the brown spots on his grey breast.

A cup shaped nest of leaves and twigs and mosses made
Where much attention to detail is paid
Four or five pale green blue eggs with black spots here and there
In small bush or tree hidden from predators of the air.

I often heard the song thrush at daybreak
His song once heard one never can mistake
There is a certain sweetness to his song
You know the bird to whom the voice belong.

A plain looking bird far more beautiful than he
But his song it lingers in the memory
The male bird has a favourite tree on which to sing
One of Nature's leading feathered minstrels of the Spring.

Made famous by John Clare almost two centuries ago
About the song thrush a little bit I know
In Melbourne parks and gardens nowadays rare
As singing birds few with them to compare