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45 



THE REDSTART. 



Ruticilla pluvidcurus (L.). 



The Redstart entered the country along the whole of the 

 !>oiith coast, but was perhaps more numerous on the western 

 half. 



A few birds were reported as passing in Devonshire as 

 early as the 27th of March, and stragglers were noted in 

 Surrey, Gloucestershire, and Derbyshire by the 6th of April. 

 There does not seem to have been any marked immigration, 

 and the birds apparently arrived in small numbers at different 

 points over a large area and extended their migration over 

 a considerable length of time. Small numbers seem to have 

 come in during the second week of April and rather larger 

 flocks between the 16th and 22nd and again on the 27th, so 

 that by the end of the month Redstarts were thinly spread 

 over the whole country, reaching Yorkshire and Cumberland 

 by the 20th, Northumberland on the 23rd, and Renfrew on 

 the 2nd of May. Further arrivals took place during the 

 first week of May, being recorded from St. Catherine's light 

 (Hants) on the 3rd, and Hanois light (Guernsey) on the 6th/7th, 

 but beyond increasing the numbers in a few localities no 

 very marked effect was observed. On the 12th/13th small 

 numbers again occurred at St. Catherine's light, and an 

 increase was noted in Kent on the 20th, possibly indicating 

 another small immigration. 



There are indications in the records from Spurn Head 

 light (Yorkshire) on the 8th/9th of May, from the Pentland 

 Skerries (Orkney) on the 11th, and from Southwold light 

 (Suffolk) on the 15th/16th of northward passage-movements 

 along the east coast. 



