BIRDS 



Notwithstanding the great alterations that agriculture and railroads 

 have brought about to the detriment and in many cases the exter- 

 mination of certain resident birds, the county of Sussex still contains a 

 variety of woodland, marsh and shore that is naturally attractive to bird 

 life. Its great swamps that formerly sheltered the bittern, the ruff and 

 many other interesting waterfowl are gone for ever, and many of the 

 quiet mud-flats and bogs along the coast, where flocks of the rarer waders 

 paddled in the shallows in peace and security, are now the favoured haunt 

 of the sham negro minstrel and the German band. 



Still the land remains the same in its attraction to most of the 

 smaller perching birds, and the county can boast that it is more favour- 

 ably situated to receive wanderers from the south and spring migrants 

 than any other in England, as it is the first landing place for all that 

 come to spend the summer. 



The whole of the county, with the exception of the downs and 

 river levels, is well wooded, chiefly with the oak Quercus pedunculata, 

 which is considered indigenous. 



In these woodland tracts and their surrounding rough commons 

 we have probably lost but few species of birds that were once resident 

 or summer visitors to Sussex. Although still nesting with us at the 

 beginning of the nineteenth century the honey-buzzard, the three 

 harriers, the kite and many other perching birds have ceased to be 

 recorded except as rare visitors, whilst the most serious losses to the 

 ornithology of the county within this period are the great bustard, 

 which probably did not nest later than 1815, and blackgame, which 

 cannot be considered as a resident later than i860, although one or two 

 greyhens have bred since that date. 



The Dartford warbler may also be mentioned as an interesting 

 species which is diminishing in numbers, and they are certainly not 

 nearly so common along the south coast as they were ten years ago. In 

 the large plantations and the edges of the forests tits are very numerous 

 and golden-crested wrens are common, as are also nuthatches in the 

 large oaks and elms of the Weald, whilst all three species of woodpecker 



* My thanks are especially due to Mrs. and Miss Borrer for the facilities which they have afforded 

 me in viewing the collections at Cowfold formed by the late Mr. W. Borrer and inspecting papers left 

 by that admirable naturalist. Also to Mrs. Eversfield for allowing me to peruse the Markwick MS. 

 at Denne Park, and to Mr. Ruskin Butterfield for a few excellent notes on the birds of east Sussex. 

 I 273 35 



