178 BIRDS IN LONDON 



very rarely succeed in bringing up their young. 

 Birds are nevertheless numerous and in great 

 variety: the large space and its openness attract 

 them, while all about the Heath large private 

 gardens, woods, and preserves exist, which are 

 perfect sanctuaries for most small birds and 

 some large species. There is a small rookery 

 on some elm-trees at the side of the High Street ; 

 and another close to the Heath, near Golder's 

 Hill, on the late Sir Spencer Wells's property. 

 And in other private grounds the carrion crow, 

 daw, wood-pigeon, stock-dove, turtle-dove, white 

 owl, and wood owl, green and lesser spotted 

 woodpecker still breed. The corncrake is 

 occasionally heard. The following small birds, 

 summer visitors, breed on the Heath or in the 

 adjacent private grounds, especially in Lord 

 Mansfield's beautiful woods : wryneck and 

 cuckoo, grasshopper-, sedge- and reed-warblers, 

 blackcap and garden warbler, both whitethroats, 

 wood and willow wrens, chiffchaff, redstart, 

 stonechat, pied wagtail, tree-pipit, red-backed 

 shrike, spotted flycatcher, swallow, house martin, 

 swift, and goldfinch. Wheatears visit the Heath 

 on passage ; fieldfares may be seen on most days 

 throughout the winter, and occasionally red- 



