BIRDS 



ants. It is not every one who knows how to 

 find them. This bird may be heard singing 

 (it is not every one, either, who knows its 

 note to be that of a bird at ail) from April 

 9th (my earliest record in the county), but 

 usually a week later ; it builds a very carefully- 

 concealed nest amongst young trees and thick 

 grass, and leaves us early in September. 



25. Hedge-Sparrow. Accentor modularis 



(Linn.). 



A common resident, but partially migra- 

 tory. Large numbers cross the North Sea 

 annually in autumn and return in spring. 

 Is double-brooded. I have known a pair 

 raise three broods successfully. The male of 

 this pair had a conspicuous mark on him. 



26. Dipper. Cinc/us aquatkus, Bechstein. 



A rare occasional visitor, our still streams 

 not being suited to the requirements of this 

 bird, which loves rapid rocky ' becks ' of clear 

 water. One example has been obtained at 

 Blatherwycke in 1868, and one at Kettering 

 in 1886 ; while an example of the Scandina- 

 vian form {Cinc/us melanogastcr^ Brehm) was 

 shot near Ringstead in 1899, for which see 

 Lilford (i. 87-89). 



27. Bearded Reedling. Panurus biarmkus 



(Linn.). 



A fen bird, lingering in Norfolk and Cam- 

 bridgeshire. Lord Lilford once observed it 

 near Lilford, the only county record. Peter- 

 borough Museum possesses a specimen ob- 

 tained in the old days at Whittlesea Mere — 

 alas ! long drained. 



28. British Long-tailed Tit. Acredula rosea 



(Blyth). 

 Locally, Bottle-Bit or Pudding-Bag. 



Common and resident, though rather local. 

 It builds the wonderful nest from which it 

 gains these names in a bush of evergreen, 

 thorn or gorse, sometimes suspended in bram- 

 bles, in April. 



29. Great Tit. Parus major, Linn. 



A common resident, building in holes in 

 walls or trees, sometimes, at all events, double- 

 brooded. A very useful bird in gardens, as 

 its feeding never extends to fruit, which is the 

 bad habit of the blue tit. 



30. British Coal-Tit. Parus britannicus, 



Sharpe and Dresser. 



A resident, common in woods, nesting in a 

 hole in a tree, or wall, or mouse-hole in the 

 ground ; the nest is nearly always lined with 

 rabbit's or other fur. Eggs laid about April. 



3 1 . British Marsh-Tit. Parus dresseri, Stein- 



eger. 

 The least common and shyest of the tits 

 with us, nesting in similar places to the last, 

 but, as a rule, in damper localities, and it 

 often lines its nest with the down of the 

 willow-catkin. 



32. Blue Tit. Parus caruleus, Linn. 

 Locally, Blue-Cap. 



A common resident, yet numbers cross the 

 North Sea in autumn. Builds in holes in 

 trees and walls, sometimes in the oddest places, 

 in April ; is generally insectivorous, but has a 

 detestable habit of damaging large numbers of 

 nearly-ripe pears by pecking a hole near the 

 stalk. 



33. Nuthatch. Sitta casta. Wolf 



A resident, which cannot be called com- 

 mon, nor rare, as it is sometimes the one and 

 sometimes the other, and I cannot find any 

 reason for this. It may be due to the tem- 

 porary local abundance of some favourite in- 

 sect. Nests in April, usually in a hole in a 

 tree, sometimes in a hole in a wall, filling up 

 the mouth with clay to the size and shape it 

 fancies. 



34. Wren. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch. 



A common resident, but numbers cross the 

 North Sea in autumn. Builds in shrubs, 

 bushes and banks, and all manner of odd 

 places, in early April. It is very fastidious as 

 to the finish of its nest, frequently discontinu- 

 ing operations on a partially finished one which 

 does not promise to be an artistic success, or 

 perhaps seems too obvious to passers-by. Is 

 double-brooded. 



35. Tree-Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn. 

 A resident, common in well-wooded dis- 

 tricts, placing its nest under loose bark on trees, 

 or in a crack of a tree or building. It is 

 double-brooded. 



36. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla luguhris, Tem- 



minck. 

 Locally, Dish-washer. 

 A common summer visitor, partially resident 

 in mild winters. It is known to cross to and 

 from the continent. Breeds early in April, 

 in a hole in a wall usually, but often selects 

 odd places. Is double-brooded. 



37. White Wagtail. Motacilla alba, Linn. 

 A rare summer visitor, several times ob- 

 served by Mr. W. T. Horn at Kingsthorpe 

 Reservoir {Lilford, i. 156), and once, certainly, 

 by myself; but no Northants specimens have 

 been obtained, as far as I know, nor has it 



15 



