WHINCHAT 



475 



part of Europe, extending northwards to the Arctic Circle and eastwards 

 to the Urals or the valley of the Obi ; but in the south of Europe 

 such individuals as do not move northwards take to the mountains. 

 In winter the species finds a congenial home in Africa. In the south 

 of England whinchats — whose whereabouts are revealed by the character- 

 istic " u-tick " note — make their appearance about the middle of April, 

 and a fortnight or so later have distributed themselves all over Great 

 Britain. Nests have been taken at least as far north as Inverness-shire ; 

 but the statement that the species visits Orkney and Shetland appears 

 to be unauthenticated. To Ireland the whinchat is a local and some- 

 what scarce visitor, although it 

 breeds locally in the counties 

 of Wicklow and Dublin. It 

 sometimes arrives as early as 

 March. The time of departure 

 is usually September, but it 

 may be delayed till October. 



Moorlands, furze -covered 

 commons, and arable lands out 

 of cultivation are the favourite 

 resorts of the whinchat, which 

 may, however, be seen in early 

 spring in meadows. Its general 

 habits are very similar to those 

 of the stonechat, but in Ireland 

 it does not frequent upland 

 gorse, as is the practice of the 

 latter bird. Like the wheatear, 

 the whinchat rears two broods in a year ; but it lays only four or five eggs 

 in a clutch, these being greenish blue with faint reddish spots, some- 

 times forming a zone at the larger end, where they become more con- 

 spicuous. Although the nest is sometimes built in short grass, it is 

 generally constructed beneath a furze-bush, and approached by a tunnel 

 of a foot or more in length, so that it can only be found by carefully 

 watching the movements of the hen bird. Dry grass, with a little 

 moss and straw, forms the main structure of the nest, which is lined 

 with fine bents and hair. 



In reference to the former rarity of the whinchat in the Shetlands, 

 it may be mentioned that in 1907 these birds were seen in considerable 

 numbers on the double passage in Fair Isle, while a male was taken in 

 Shetland in i 898. 



WHINCHAT (male) 



