BIRDS 



58. Siskin. Carduelis spinus (Linn.). 



A regular winter visitor ; sometimes, but 

 rarely, remaining to breed. The nest and 

 eggs have been taken several times ; the first 

 recorded was at Brancepeth, 5 May, 1848. 

 I had a nest and four eggs from Weardale in 

 1874. 



59. House-Sparrow. Passer domesticus (Linn.) 



Everywhere, except on the moors, an in- 

 creasing nuisance. 



60. Tree-Sparrow. Passer montanus (Linn.). 



A constant resident in a few localities, 

 where it especially affects old trees. Always 

 to be found among the trees on the ' Banks ' 

 of Durham city. 



61. Chaffinch. Fringilla caflebs, Linn. 



Common and universal. The females, and 

 apparently some of the males, leave us in 

 winter. 



62. Brambling. Fringilla montifringilla, Linn. 



A regular winter visitor, but in very varying 

 numbers ; in some seasons large flocks are 

 met with. 



63. Linnet. L'nota cannabina (Linn.). 

 A common resident. 



64. Meally Redpoll. Linata linaria (Linn.). 

 A frequent winter visitor. 



65. Greenland Redpoll. Linota hornemanni. 



Holboell. 



The only recorded example from the 

 British Isles was taken on Whitburn 

 sea banks on 24 April, 1855. It had been 

 noticed flying about there for some days. It is 

 now in the Hancock Museum, Ncwcastle-on- 

 Tyne. 



66. Lesser Redpoll. Linota rufescens (Vieillot). 



Not very plentiful except at the seasons of 

 migration, but many are resident, and breed 

 in young plantations and thickets. 



67. Twite. Linota flaviros tris (Linn.). 



A resident on all our moors, where it breeds. 



68. Bullfinch. Pyrrhula europtra, Vieillot. 

 A constant resident, but not very abundant. 



69. Crossbill. Loxia curvirostra t Linn. 



A constant resident in woods and fir planta- 

 tions in Weardale. It breeds as early as Feb- 

 ruary. It was first noticed as a nesting bird 

 in the county in 1838, but since then has 

 certainly increased. 



70. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza mi/iaria, Linn. 

 Common and resident. 



71. Yellow Hammer. Emberiza citrinella y 



Linn. 



Common and resident. Decreased much 

 in numbers of late years. 



72. Little Bunting. Emberiza pusilla, Pallas. 



The second recorded occurrence of this 

 Siberian wanderer in Britain was a male bird 

 taken at Bishop Auckland, II October, 1902 

 (Zoologist, 1902, p. 466). 



73. Reed - Bunting. Emberiza schatniclus, 



Linn. 



Resident. Not uncommon by streams and 

 in marshes. 



74. Snow - Bunting. Plectrophanes nivalis 



(Linn.). 



A regular winter visitor, often in large 

 flocks. 



75. Lapland Bunting. Plectrophanes lapponicus 



(Linn.). 



An accidental winter visitor. One was 

 shot in January 1860, out of a flock of 

 snow-buntings close to Durham, and is now 

 in our Museum. 



76. Starling. Sturnus vu/garis, Linn. 



Most abundant. Has enormously increased 

 of late years. Its numbers diminish in 

 winter. 



77. Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus 



(Linn.). 



An accidental wanderer. More than a 

 dozen instances of its capture in the county 

 have been reported in the last few years. 



78. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.). 



The misdirected energies of the game- 

 keeper have all but exterminated the jay in 

 the eastern and central parts of the county, 

 where in the memory of man it was not 

 uncommon. A few may be seen in Wear- 

 dale and in Raby Park. 



79. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). 



The magpie, like the jay, has almost dis- 

 appeared, and from the same cause. Very 

 occasionally a brood may be raised in some 

 sequestered wood. 



80. Jackdaw. Corvus montdula, Linn. 



Abundant, though not so numerous as ten 

 years ago. 



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