ITC. liini Xotcfi. 



Bird Notes. 



June, 1922. 

 By Alfred Croniptori. 



Wood Swallows (Ar'tcmms s07-di(lus) have been clustering 

 round ,tlie stem of a Pine tree in Statenborough Street, Upper 

 Kensington, since June 3rd, the date on which they were first 

 noticed this season. Most evenings the stem was covered for 

 an estimated length of about 10 feet, and at a rough guess I 

 reckon that at least 1,000 birds assembled every evening until 

 the end of last week, when the number seems to have dwindled. 

 On cold stormy days they began to cluster about 3.30 {).m., but 

 on .bright warmer days not until 5 p.m. On the latter days 

 rhe birds began to arrive in the neighbouring trees about 3 p.m., 

 and continued to do so until sundown. 



The ,early birds settled on the tree stem some 30 odd feet 

 from the ground, and the later arrivals attached themselves to 

 the tree touching and above those already clustered. 



On leaving the roost on ^fine mornings the top half of the 

 tier usually left some 10 to 15 minutes before the lower half, 

 and apparently swept right away to the feeding grounds in a 

 south-westerly direction. The lower half went north-easterly. 

 The tree was usually cleared a few minutes after 7 a.m., and 

 ])y 7.30 a.m. none of the species could be seen. 



Unfortunately T am not at home during the daytime, but I 

 understand that none of the birds was seen about during the 

 morning or ea;rly afternoon. 



On Friday the 23rd June the birds were very restive, 

 leaving the tree three or four times after they had first clustered. 

 This was the first time they were noticed to do this. 



I wais not at home en the following Saturday or Sunday, but 

 on Monday there seemed to he fewer birds than had been 

 observed previously, and mv family report there were fewer still 

 on Wednesday, 2Sth, and Thursday, 29th, although the weather 

 was so irough. 



The birds were observed to cluster in the same tree for a 

 few nights in 1919 and 1920, but were not noticed to do vso in 

 1921. 



By J. Sutton. 

 Netherby. — On 2nd inst. a Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo 

 was calling. On 19th inst. two Blue Mountain Lorikeets were 

 seen. On 23rd inst. a Crow was heard. The Flame-breasted 

 Robins have been here all this month, iind the Scarlet-breasted 

 Robin is occasionallv seen. Of the occasional visitors the fol- 



