BIRDS 



20. Firecrest. Regulus ignicapillus (Brehm). 



A rare and accidental visitor. I possess a 

 specimen shot at Brancepeth by Mr. Dale, 

 keeper to Lord Boyne, in April, 1852. 



21. Chiffchaff. Phylloscof>us rujus (Bechstein). 



Our first spring arrival, and abundant 

 wherever there are old trees, and in pleasure 

 grounds. 



22. Willow- Warbler, or Willow -Wren. 



Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.). 



The most abundant of all our summer 

 visitors, arriving early in April. 



23. Wood-Warbler, or Wood-Wren. Phyllo- 



scopus sibilatrix (Bechstein). 



Arrives about the beginning of May. Is 

 plentiful in wooded districts only. 



24. Reed-Warbler. Acrocephalut streperui 



(Vieillot). 



The only known instance of its occurrence 

 is a nest of four eggs taken by Mr. T. Thomp- 

 son, of Winlaton, nearly forty years ago, between 

 Blaydon and Derwenthough. The nest has 

 been carefully preserved, and is unmistakable. 

 (N. H. Trans. Northumh. and Dur. xiv. 1 1 9.) 



25. Great Reed-Warbler. Acrocephaltu tur- 



doides (Meyer). 



The first specimen of this species known 

 to have been taken in Britain was shot at 

 Swalwell on the Tyne on 28 May, 1847 

 (Ann. and Mag. xx. p. 135). It has not since 

 occurred in the district. 



26. Sedge-Warbler. Acrocephalus phragmitis 



(Bechstein). 



An abundant summer visitor. A few years 

 ago a pair bred in the dwarf willows on the 

 banks of the Wear in the city of Durham, 

 close to the public walk. 



27. Grasshopper-Warbler. Locustella ntrvia 



(Boddaert). 



A regular summer visitor to certain loca- 

 lities, especially the banks of the Tyne and 

 the Derwent. I once had three nests with 

 their unmistakable eggs brought to me from 

 near Gateshead. 



28. Hedge-Sparrow. Accentor modularis, Linn. 

 Common except on the moors. 



29. Dipper or Water Ousel. Cinclus aquaticus 



(Bechstein). 



Resident on all the burns and rocky streams 

 in the west and occasionally by the streams 

 near the coast. Much persecuted through the 

 ignorance of anglers. 



30. British Long-tailed Tit. Atredula rosea 



(Blyth). 



Generally distributed throughout the county, 

 but not very numerous. The whiteheaded 

 continental form A. caudata (Linn.), though 

 more than once taken on the north bank of 

 the Tyne, has not yet been recorded within 

 our limits. 



31. Great Tit. Parus major , Linn. 



Abundant everywhere. Resident through- 

 out the year. 



32. Coal-Tit. Parus ater t Linn. 



Common, but by no means as numerous as 

 the preceding species. 



33. Marsh-Tit. Parus palustris. Linn. 



Plentiful, and I think more numerous in 

 this county than the coal-tit, but more shy, 

 resorting generally to ' woods and scrub.' 

 While the three other species come regularly 

 to a window sill to be fed, it is only after a 

 long continued frost that the marsh-tit ven- 

 tures to approach. 



34. Blue Tit. Parus carru/eus, Linn. 

 Quite as numerous as the great tit. Resident. 



35. Nuthatch. Sitta aesia, Wolf. 



Now only an accidental straggler. A cen- 

 tury ago it appears to have been well known 

 in suitable localities in the county. Sixty 

 years ago it used to breed in Auckland Castle 

 Park, but for the last fifty years the only record 

 I can find of its occurrence is one shot at 

 Wolsingham in 1873, and another at Elton 

 about ten years ago. 



36. Wren. Troglodytes parvu/us, Koch. 

 Resident. Common everywhere. 



37. Tree-Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn. 



A permanent resident wherever there are 

 woods, and especially old trees. 



38. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla lugubrii, Tem- 



minck. 



Common. A few remain through the 

 winter, but the majority go south. 



39. White Wagtail. Motacilla atta, Linn. 



This, the continental form of the preceding, 

 is an accidental visitor. One was brought to 

 me in the spring of 1904. Noticed in the 

 4 Banks ' at Durham by Mr. Cullingford the 

 same year. 



40. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope y Pallas. 



Generally distributed in summer. A few 

 remain through the winter. 



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