310 



List of the Birds of the A^eiv Forest District. 



[APP. 



birds along the south-east coast of the 

 Forest in Gilpin's time (vol. II. pp. 172, 

 302, third edition), but are now be- 

 coming rare ; and Mr. More, in his 



excellent account of the birds of the 

 Isle of Wight, doubts whether more 

 than one or two pairs now annually 

 breed in the Island. 



Thus the Forest possesses in all seventy-two residents. The common 

 buzzard, the merlin, the henharrier, the three owls, and as many wood- 

 peckers, with the nuthatch and the stockdove, well indicate its woody 

 and heathy character. Upon comparing this with Mr. More's list of 

 the residents of the Isle of Wight, we find that the Forest possesses 

 fourteen more than that Island. The principal additions consist, as 

 might be expected, of the common buzzard, black-grouse, green and 

 great and lesser spotted woodpeckers, common snipe, and woodcock, 

 although by the way the last, to my knowledge, breeds in the Island, 

 as also probably the little grebe. 



The summer visitors are arranged by the date of the arrival of the 

 main body, drawn partly from Mr. Rake's and my own observations. In 

 a few cases, as a further criterion, I have given the dates of their 

 nesting spread over the last four years. 



Chiffchaff. (Si/li'ia rufa, Lath.) 

 Arrives about the middle and end of 

 March. Common. 



Whlatear. iSyh-iaananthe, Lath.) 

 Follows very close after the chiffchaff ; 

 but the bird is scarce. 



Sandmautin. {Hirunih riparia, 

 Lath.) In 1862, Mr. Rake saw some 

 specimens near Fordingbridge on 

 March 15th, about a week earlier than 

 usual. 



Marti.v. {Hirundo itrbica, Lin.) 

 Arrives with the sandmartin about the 

 end of March, though sometimes both 

 are seen a little earlier. 



Swallow. {Hirundo rusltca, Lin.) 



Wryneck. {Yiuix torquiHa, Lin.) 

 Generally to be heard about the end 

 of March and beginning of April. 

 Known in the Forest as the " Little 

 Eten bird ; " and from its cry the " Wcet 

 bird " Mr. Eake both heard and saw 

 one as late as Dec. .5, 1861. 



IvLDSTART. {Si/lri(i pltccnicurus, 

 Lath.) Beginning of Ajjril. 



310 



Thioknee. (CEdicnirmus crepitans, 

 Tem.) It is possible that some may 

 remain to breed. 



Nightingale. (Si/Ivia Itiscinia, 

 Lath.) About the middle of May tlieir 

 nests are mostly found in the Forest. 



Cuckoo. {Cuculus canorus, Lin.) 

 May 26 and June 1 are the dates when 

 I have found its eggs placed, in one 

 case, at Baishley, in a hedge sparrow's, 

 and, in the other, on Beaulieu Common, 

 in a titlark's nest. 



Blackcap. {Sylvia atricapilla, 

 Lath.) An'ivcs about the beginning 

 and middle of April. 



Kay's Wagtail. (Motacilla cam- 

 pesfris. Pall.) Known in the New 

 Forest as the " Barley bird," as it ap- 

 pears about the lime barley is sown. 

 Probably does not breed. 



Grasshopper Warbler. (Sylvia 

 locustella, Lath.) Breeds in the joung 

 plantations, but is by no means connnon. 



Sedge Warbler. (Sylvia Phrag- 

 mitis, Bcchst.) Very scarce. 



