A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



as early as January and February. The nest 

 is nearly always placed behind loose bark on 

 old trees, sometimes also under the eaves of a 

 building. 



35. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla lugubris, Tem- 



minck. 



The pied wagtail, often called 'dish- 

 washer,' is nowhere rare. Generally migra- 

 tory, single pairs are nevertheless sometimes 

 seen in most months of the year. At Great 

 Marlow a pair nested last year (1901) in a 

 very small birdcage standing empty out of 

 doors. The eggs were found on May 28, 

 and the young were safely hatched and flew 

 on June 12 (H. H. Cocks in litt.). 



36. White Wagtail. Motacilla alba, Linn. 



E. Hartert observed a pair feeding its 

 young on June 17, 1902, on the river Chess 

 below Latimer. In the vicinity, not more 

 than 300 or 400 yards away, M. lugubris 

 was apparently nesting. 



37. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla rait (Bona- 



parte). 



A regular summer bird wherever there are 

 suitable meadows. Generally arriving about 

 the middle of April. Very fond of grazing 

 sheep and cattle, in the proximity of which 

 it is nearly always found in autumn in search 

 of insects. 



38. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. 



(This species was named M. boarula by 

 Linnzus before Pallas named the eastern 

 form M. melanope. The latter has a 

 shorter tail and is to be called M. boarula 

 melanope, the European form M. boarula, 

 Linn.) 



The grey wagtail is a somewhat rare bird 

 in winter and autumn. We have seen it 

 near Marsworth at those seasons ; the Rev. 

 H. D. Astley saw it near Chequers Court. 

 On the banks of the Thames it has often 

 been noticed. Clark Kennedy (p. 26) writes : 

 ' I was rather surprised to be informed by the 

 Rev. Bryant Burgess of Latimer, Chesham, 

 that this wagtail annually makes its nest and 

 rears its young on the river Chess, where it 

 seems to be a summer visitor.' We have been 

 on the look-out for this bird, but did not find 

 it near Latimer. 



39. Tree-Pipit. Anthus trivia/is (Linn.). 

 Common all over the county. 



40. Meadow-Pipit. Anthus pratensis (Linn.). 



Not rare on lowland pastures. Mr. Cross- 

 man informs us that a few pairs are always 



to be found on Farnham Common, where 

 they nest. We have found it nesting near 

 Halton, Aylesbury, Buckingham, Castle- 

 thorpe, and Hartert saw it at Burnham 

 Beeches. It is also common near Eton. 

 The Rev. H. D. Astley has sometimes seen 

 flocks on the hills during the autumn migra- 

 tion. 



4 1 . Golden Oriole. Oriolus galbula, Linn. 



A male was shot at Stoke Mandeville on 

 May 19, 1897 (White, Field, 1879). Mr. 

 Alfred Heneage Cocks writes (in litt.): 'This 

 bird has been reported to have nested about 

 three miles north from here in 1901, the nest 

 and eggs having been taken ; but I cannot 

 answer for it personally.' Clark Kennedy 

 writes (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 171): 'A 

 nest of this bird is said to have been found 

 near Burnham.' 



42. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor, 



Linn. 



A somewhat rare winter visitor. It was 

 shot on January 8, 1778, near Dinton Hall. 

 A female was shot near Wendover about the 

 middle of November 1864, and a male on 

 November 4 of the same year at Weston 

 Turville (H. Harpur Crewe, Zoologist, 1865, 

 p. 9416). 'In 1862 a fine male was shot 

 by a son of the Rev. M. Gore, near the alms- 

 houses at Stoke. Some time ago, while look- 

 ing over a collection of birds shot by Mr. G. 

 Lillywhite of Eton Wick, Buckinghamshire, 

 I was agreeably surprised to find a fine 

 example of the great grey shrike. It was 

 shot on the banks of the Thames, not far 

 from Windsor, in the winter of 1865-6, 

 and was stuffed by Mr. Drye of Eton. 

 Another, in the collection of the Rev. Bryant 

 Burgess, was killed a few years since at 

 Hampden ' (Clark Kennedy, Birds of Bucks 

 and Berks, p. 169). Hartert saw one in 

 October 1895 near Halton. 



43. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius collurio, 



Linn. 



Found in summer in all parts of the county, 

 though generally by no means as numerous 

 as it might be. It mostly frequents tall uncut 

 hedges, but does not breed where no tall 

 hedges or other tall thorn-bushes offer it 

 suitable breeding places. It is common near 

 Eton, Eton Wick, etc. Mr. Grossman saw 

 it frequently in many parts of south Bucks. 

 The late Lionel Wiglesworth and Hartert 

 found it not uncommon near Castlethorpe ; 

 the latter has seen it near Chesham, Chedd ing- 

 ton, Buckingham, Aylesbury, Dinton and 

 Newport Pagnell. The Rev. H. D. Astley 



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