OTES 



ABNORMALLY EARLY WHEATEARS IN 



CARNARVONSHIRE. 



The genial atmospheric conditions and almost uninterrupted 

 southerly and south-westerly winds during the latter half of 

 February, 1912, helped to set in motion the seasonal move- 

 ment of a few of the recognised earlier-moving migrants, and 

 apparently urged a few Common Wheatears {Saxicola oenanihe 

 oenanthe) to venture northward. At 3.15 p.m. on March 1st 

 I watched a male on the Great Orme's Head, a little to the 

 south-east of the lighthouse, and on the following day I 

 watched another male (possibly the bird seen the previous 

 day) at the extreme north-westerly point of the promontory. 

 Another Wheatear, however, was seen on the 1st by a friend 

 of mine, who is as familiar with the bird as I am, just an 

 hour earlier, but nearly a mile awa}^ from the spot where I 

 observed mine. My previous earliest date was March 21st, 

 in 1909. Richard W. Jones. 



STONECHAT INLAND IN RENFREWSHIRE. 



On March 3rd, 1912, I saw near Kilmalcolm a fine male 

 Stonechat {Pratincola ruhicola), a bird of very rare occurrence 

 inland in Renfrewshire. T. Thornton Mackeith. 



BLACK REDSTART IN CARNARVONSHIRE. 



On March 1st, 1912, I had the good fortune to watch for 

 some considerable time a fine male Black Redstart {Ruticilla 

 titys) on the north-easterly side of the Great Orme's Head. 

 The white patch on each wing drew my attention to the 

 bird as it flitted about the rough and stony cliff -top, 

 where apparently it was getting plenty to eat. The short, 

 downward jerk of its ruddy tail was indulged in whenever 

 it alighted on any point of vantage, and its movements 

 forwards and backwards over the turf were quick. 



One female of this species in 1910 and another in 1911 

 (c/. Vol. IV., pp. 308-9, and supra, p. 224) are the only 

 occurrences of individuals of that sex in Carnarvonshire, but 

 the present record of a male is unprecedented. 



Richard W. Jones. 



