SPOTTED FLYCATCHER 



Muscicapa gnsola 



NE of the last to arrive of our summer migrants is the 

 Spotted Flycatcher. It seldom makes its appearance in 

 the British Islands before the first or second week in 

 May, when the trees are in leaf and there is plenty of 

 insect food for it. From May to September it is a common 

 enough bird throughout Great Britain, though in the 

 north of Scotland it is very local in its distribution, and 



only known as a straggler to the Orkneys and Shetlands. In Ireland it is 

 also very locally distributed, though not an uncommon bird in some districts. 

 The Spotted Flycatcher haunts the edges of woods, plantations, and parks 

 studded with trees, and is to be found in most well-cultivated districts ; it is 

 especially fond of gardens, orchards, and pleasure-grounds, and may often be 

 seen perched on the long drooping branches overhanging some sheet of 

 ornamental water, every now and then sallying forth to catch the passing 

 insects. Like the Tree Pipit, the Spotted Flycatcher very often has a favourite 

 perch, on which it may be seen throughout the summer, and as a rule its 

 mate is not far off. Some iron fence, gate-post, haystack, or bare branch of a 

 tree is usually chosen, where the bird sits motionless, watching the insects 

 hovering round, every now and then darting forth into the swarm of gnats and 

 fluttering in the air, while it catches them with loud snaps of its bill, anon 

 returning to sit motionless again on its perch. In the dusk of the evening 

 the Spotted Flycatcher may often be seen pursuing the small moths and beetles 

 which hum lazily along. The bird rarely flies for any distance, though every 

 now and then it chases some large butterfly, when its peculiarly hesitating 

 flight is seen to perfection. Its food is chiefly composed of flies and gnats, 

 varied with an occasional beetle or spider ; moths and butterflies are also 

 eaten. It is said that the Spotted Flycatcher will also eat berries during the 

 autumn, but I have never been fortunate enough to verify this, though I have 

 dissected many of them. 



The song of the Spotted Flycatcher is but rarely heard, as it is uttered 

 VOL. in. 2 E 105 



