NOTES. 23 



RAPID NEST-BUILDING BY MISTLE-THRUSH 

 AND BLACKBIRD. 



Near Carlisle a Mistle-Thrush {Turdus viscivorus) built its 

 nest in two days and laid the first egg on the third day. 



D. A. Scott. 

 At West Byfleet, Surrey, a gardener put an ordinary wooden 

 rake against a wall, under a lean-to roof, on the evening of 

 Thursday, Ajml 13th, 1911. On the following day (Good 

 Friday) he did not work. On the Saturday he found a nest of 

 a Blackbird {Turdus merula) on the teeth of the rake, and 

 resting against the wall. On Sunday the nest contained one egg, 

 and now the bird is sitting upon four eggs. T. R. Ward. 



[It may be remarked that such cases as the above are pro- 

 bably due to a previous nest being destroyed (or becoming 

 deserted for some reason), when the bird is just on the point 

 of commencing to lay its eggs. — Eds. J 



WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT AND RED-NECKED 



PHALAROPE IN SUSSEX. 

 On May 15th, 1911, a gentleman staying at Winchelsea secured 

 two rarities, the first being a specimen of the White- spotted 

 Bluethroat {Cyanecula wolfi), which was flying about the sloe 

 bushes on the marshes at Pett. This is, I beUeve, only the 

 second record for the county. The bird was a male in fine 

 condition, the white spot being very cons^Dicuous. 



The second was an example of the Red-necked Phalarope 

 {Phalaropus hyperboreus) , which was swimming about in the 

 Brede Canal, which runs between Winchelsea and Rye. The 

 specimen was a hen, and, no doubt, on her way north to the 

 breeding haunts. We very rarely see them in Sussex on 

 migration. I think only four have been previously obtained in 

 spring. Both birds were seen by me in the flesh on May 16th. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



EXTRAORDINARY ABUNDANCE OF NIGHTINGALES 

 IN SHROPSHIRE. 



The present season is quite remarkable for the number of 

 Nightingales {Daulias luscinia) which have appeared in 

 Shropshire. The normal range of the species in this county 

 is confined to the Severn Valley south of Shrewsbury, 

 though from time to time a few odd birds take up quarters 

 in locahties north of that area. This year, however, the 

 usual haunts of the Nightingale appear to hold more than 

 double their normal complement of individuals, whilst a 

 number of Nightingales have taken up residence in places 



