190 Birds and Peace. 



Birds and Peace. 



By Capt. J. S. Reeve, G.G. 



Dr. Gosse's article nmler above heading" leads me to think 

 th.'it a few notes on my own experience may be of interest to 

 our readers, firstly, with reference to those he has mentioned 

 1 am inclined to think that the Landrail has decreased here 

 (Leadenham, Lines.) of late years and this year I have not heard 

 of one at all; the Whinchat on the other hand has. 1 believe. 

 become more prevalent, for 1 have known of at least six nests, 

 a fact I was never aware of in pre-war times: the Redstart lias 

 always been extremely rare and the Wryneck 11 on csf. 



The Red- backed Shrike was plentiful where I was 

 soldiering" throughout the war ;';/ Surrey. It has seemed to 

 n"ie that I have never seen so many Spotted Flycatchers, or found 

 so many nests of them as this year. Chiffcnaffs are fairly plen- 

 tiful, but not to be compared with the Willow Wrens and White- 

 throats, which swarm. The Nightingale is holding its own ; 

 Swallows fairly so, and Martins, as Dr. Gosse says, are on the 

 increase. The Hawfinch, though little in evidence, breeds here, 

 probably every year: the Redpoll I have not observed since 

 the war, but it nested here about three years ago. The Goldfinch 

 holds its own but nothing" approaching Dr. Gosse's experience: 

 the Chaffinch is. I believe, the commonest bird in the country I 

 Great Tits are very numerous and Nuthatches holding their 

 own well. 



With reference to the Jay, in Surrey they swarmed. 

 Until about 10 years ago such a bird was not seen here exce])t 

 in isolated cases which were soon cured by the keepers ! Before 

 the war, and still more during it. they have become comparati^•elv 

 con^mon and established themselves as a nesting species. The 

 v.rir has noticeably increased the stock of Crows and Magpies, 

 several nests of each being found and destroyed : another bird 

 that has very much increased of late years is the Little Owl: I 

 have myself seen six nests this season and I dare say there are 

 30 pairs in the neighbourhood. Kestrels hold their own, for 

 within l)ounds they are useful members of society, but T can 

 hardly agree to let off the Sparrow-hawk as " generally innocent 

 and often useful ! " 



