WHEATEAR. 22/ 



white rump and has nothing to do with wheat. The superior 

 size of the Greenland bird, with wing measurements of about 

 4 inches or more against an average of 3f in our bird, coupled 

 with a brighter reddish-buff breast, prevents confusion to the 

 practised eye, but the time of arrival is helpful. Our bird is 

 ihe first real summer visitor to reach us ; early in March a 

 '' wave " of males arrives on the south coast, and by the middle 

 of the month many are in summer quarters in the north of 

 England. As a rule birds reach North Wales in the second 

 or third week, but Mr. R. W. Jones met with a male on 

 March i, and by the i6th birds have been seen on the 

 Pennine moors. Successive waves spread during April, and at 

 the end of that month and in May the large race comes in. 

 Though Wheatears have reached Greenland in May, these birds 

 often travel slowly northward, lingering for days or even weeks 

 in lowland fields. Our Wheatear is distributed throughout, 

 but only where conditions suit it. It frequents open downs, 

 hillsides, moorlands — nesting at over 3000 feet, rough and rocky 

 land and coastal dunes. It is constantly on the move, flitting 

 from stone to stone, clump to clump, repeating ckack, chack, from 

 which it is often called the " Stonechat." Its bows, tail flirts 

 and remarks are directed at the observer as it moves ahead, 

 flying close to the ground and halting on each little eminence 

 for a fresh bow. It is said that the Greenland Wheatear may 

 be known by its habit of perching on a bush or hedge, but our 

 bird also uses these halting-places when handy, and on hills 

 frequently mounts the rough stone walls. Its progress is 

 interrupted by leaps into the air and aerial turns and twists 

 after passing flies, and it frequently sings on the wing, though 

 seldom rising to any height. The song is pleasing, and has a 

 greater range than that of the other chats. Saxby gives a long 

 list- of notes of other birds which he has detected in the song, 

 but Miss Turner's idea of the song of " the Skylark in its begin- 

 nings" seems most apt. Even in the north the majority of the 



