BIRDS 



breeding range of the ducks, and at no distant date we may reasonably 

 hope to name the wigeon, the gadwall, the pintail, the shoveler, the 

 pochard and perhaps even the garganey as resident within the county. 

 The great crested grebe too has greatly increased as a summer bird in 

 the southern counties, and why he has so far avoided Sussex during the 

 nesting season is somewhat of a mystery, as so many sheets of water are 

 especially suited to his habits. 



In all we can include in the birds of the county 302 species which 

 are either resident, summer or winter visitors, or rare stragglers. 



In the following list brackets placed round the name of the 

 original describer of a species indicate that he did not employ the 

 generic named which is now adopted. 



1. Missel-Thrush. Turdus visclvorus, Linn. 

 A very common resident and a species that 



is evidently largely on the increase. 



2. Song-Thrush. Turdus musiais, Linn. 

 Very abundant during the summer and 



autumn months, the majority remaining 

 throughout the winter unless severe w^eather 

 sets in. 



3. Redwing. Turdus i/iacus, Linn. 



A few redwings commence to arrive in 

 September, being joined by larger flocks as 

 winter advances. They associate in numbers 

 with the next species, a few missel-thrushes 

 joining them in mild weather. Redwings 

 stay every year in west Sussex till the end of 

 April. 



4. Fieldfare. Turdus pilaris, Linn. 



The number of fieldfares that visit 

 Sussex during the winter months seems to 

 be principally regulated by the mildness or 

 severity of the season. In hard weather, 

 when they come in large numbers, field- 

 fares become much tamer than redwings 

 or missel-thrushes, even waiting to pick off 

 the haws within a few feet of the passer-by, 

 whilst the two other species will hardly per- 

 mit an approach within gunshot. 



5. Black-throated Thrush. Turdus atngu- 



/aris, Temminck. 

 Yarrell in his British Birds mentions that a 

 young male of this species was shot near 

 Lewes on December 23, 1868, and passed 

 into the collection of the late Mr. T. J. Monk 

 of that town. 



6. Blackbird. Turdus merula, Linn. 



Very abundant and less migratory than 

 other thrushes. As an instance of the con- 

 servative habits and smallness of range of the 

 blackbird I may mention that a pied cock 



blackbird has lived regularly in one garden at 

 Horsham for the past six years, and so far as 

 I know has never been seen two fields away. 



7. Ring-Ouzel. Turdus torquatus, Linn. 



A somewhat rare spring and autumn 

 migrant. Mr. Booth was of opinion that 

 the species had nested in the South Downs 

 in 1865. 



8. Wheatear. Saxicola oenanthe (Linn.) 

 The first spring migrant after the wag- 

 tails, a few only stopping to nest. 



9. Whinchat. Pratincola rubetra (Linn.) 

 A fairly common migrant. 



10. Stonechat. Pratincola ruhicola (Linn.) 

 More numerous than the last species and 



breeding on the commons where furze and 

 heath are found. Stonechats also frequently 

 stay with us through the winter, and in east 

 Sussex Mr. Butterfield considers that they are 

 equally common at all seasons. 



11. Redstart. Rutici lla phcenicurus {h\nn.) 

 Of all the spring visitors there is no bird 



so local as the redstart. I have only once 

 observed the species near Horsham, viz. in 

 Denne Park in 1899, whilst I have frequently 

 seen it near the coast. Very few apparently 

 breed in Sussex. 



12. Black Redstart. Ruticilla tiiys (Scopoli). 

 A regular autumnal visitor, arriving in 



October in small numbers. The black red- 

 start often stays with us throughout the 

 winter, and I have a beautiful old male in full 

 breeding dress that was killed near Brighton 

 in the spring of 1880. The species seems 

 fond of frequenting market gardens ; indi- 

 viduals were seen by Mr. A. H. M. Cox in 

 the same allotments in 1900 and 1 901, two 

 of which in the latter year were taken by 

 Mr. M. J. Nicoll. 



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