A HISTORY OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



mon. It is a late breeder, nesting from May 

 till July. The Rev. H. Harpur Crewe found 

 a nest in a juniper bush on June 4, 1864, 

 near Dray ton Beauchamp (Field, Dec. 3, 1 864, 

 p. 384). The Rev. Hubert D. Astley found 

 it not uncommon in the neighbourhood of 

 Chequers Court on Coombe Hill, amongst 

 gorse and brambles, and along the hills above 

 Wendover. He found a nest in the shrubbery 

 of the gardens at Chequers Court in a bush 

 of ' mock orange ' (Syringa), about three feet 

 from the ground. The female was seen on 

 the nest ; the eggs were typical. The male 

 was often seen on wire rails close by. The 

 young flew unmolested (June 1898). Hartert 

 saw eggs taken near Halton. In winter the 

 cirl bunting is less stationary and of course 

 more easily noticed. We have seen it in winter 

 near Ivinghoe, and received specimens from 

 Aston Clinton. It has been caught at Pit- 

 stone. 



68. Reed-Bunting. Emberiza schoeniclus, Linn. 

 Locally, Reed-Sparrow or Blackheaded Bunting. 



Resident and generally distributed, though 

 of course somewhat local, as it affects only 

 reed beds and bushy stretches along marshy 

 ditches, streams, rivers and ponds. It breeds 

 at Stowe Park, on the rivers Thames, Colne, 

 Chess and Ouse, on the Weston Turville 

 reservoirs and other suitable places. It shifts 

 its haunts more or less in winter, when it is 

 sometimes seen in flocks. 



69. Snow - Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis 



(Linn.). 



A cold weather visitant to the county. 

 Not noticed every year, but sometimes in 

 great numbers, and then as a rule in cold 

 weather with deep snow. We have seen 

 large flocks in 1895. The earliest date we 

 know of is November 4, 1901, when a male 

 was shot by Mr. H. Jenney at Drayton 

 Lodge, Bucks, between Aylesbury and Tring. 

 These birds are often seen near Aston Clinton. 

 Their old manuscript mentions the occurrence 

 in the great snow of January 8, 1776. 



70. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. 

 Very numerous and resident. 



[Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus 

 (Linn.). 



In Gould's Birds of Europe (vol. iii.) it is 

 stated that a specimen was shot by John 

 Newman, at Iver Court, near Langley, in 

 Buckinghamshire.] 



7 1 . Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.). 

 Very numerous residents, though frequently 



killed on shooting days in the woods and 

 anxiously kept down by the keepers. 



72. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). 

 (Linnaeus named this bird Corvus pica ; we 



would therefore call it Pica pica [Linn.].) 



Resident throughout the year and generally 

 distributed over the county, but far from com- 

 mon and rather local, being ruthlessly destroyed 

 by most of the gamekeepers. It is regularly 

 seen along the railway from Cheddington to 

 Castlethorpe, and we have seen it more or 

 less often near Mentmore, Bletchley, Yardley 

 Chase, Buckingham and Aylesbury. 



73. Jackdaw. Corvus monedu/a, Linn. 



By no means rare throughout the year. 

 Nesting in holes of trees, old towers and other 

 buildings, sometimes also in a rooks' nest. Of 

 the many nesting-places we may cite Stowe 

 Park, Eton, Dinton Hall. Much persecuted 

 by the keepers. 



74. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 



Probably once upon a time a regularly 

 breeding bird, but now only very rarely met 

 with. In the old manuscript we find figures 

 and notes of specimens shot on March 25, 

 1828, and December 16, 1829. Even then 

 it was apparently not considered a very 

 numerous species. Mr. Grossman writes : 

 'On August 14, 1887, I had the great 

 pleasure of seeing one of these birds at 

 Farnham near Slough. The bird was shy 

 and difficult to approach, but there was no 

 mistaking its hoarse note.' 



75. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. 



A regular resident throughout the county, 

 though ruthlessly destroyed by the keepers, 

 and therefore very scarce where pheasants are 

 bred in great numbers. Perhaps most frequent 

 in the grass country of north-eastern Bucking- 

 hamshire and north and west of Aylesbury. 

 Colonel Goodall says it is common near Din- 

 ton. It is however rather on the decrease 

 than on the increase. Mr. Grossman writes : 

 'In May 1892 I found a nest of this species 

 near Chicheley containing three eggs, two of 

 which were firmly embedded in a dead mole.' 



76. Grey or Hooded Crow. Corvus comix, 



Linn. 



A winter visitor, generally scarce, but 

 more common in the plains near Chedding- 

 ton, Mentmore, Leighton Buzzard and Fenny 

 Stratford. Sometimes seen in great numbers. 



77. Rook. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. 



Very numerous. There is hardly a suit- 

 able park without a rookery in the county. 



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