BIRDS 



52. Sand-Martin. Cattle riparia (Linn.). 

 This bird makes its appearance here as a 



rule rather earlier than the rest of the Hirun- 

 dinidee, and after producing one or two broods, 

 departs in September. 



53. Greenfinch. Ligurinus chloris (Linn.). 

 Locally, Green Linnet. 



An abundant resident which in common 

 with other members of the family seems to be 

 increasing in numbers. 



54- Hawfinch. Coccotkraustesvu!garis,Pa.\\zs. 

 Locally, Grosbeak. 



Resident and well distributed, although 

 from its retiring disposition it is probably 

 often overlooked. I have seen several nests in 

 this district ; the bird also breeds near Alder- 

 maston, Bucklebury, Abingdon, Faringdon, 

 Reading, and eggs have been taken in the 

 College grounds at Radley. In Windsor 

 Forest it breeds abundantly, and is also 

 recorded from Wantage and Newbury. 

 There can be no doubt that this bird has 

 enormously increased in numbers of late 

 years and has much extended its breeding 

 range. In winter hawfinches often congre- 

 gate in flocks, as I have seen thirty to forty 

 individuals together. The seeds of the horn- 

 beam form a favourite food. 



55- Goldfinch. Carduelis e/egans, Stephens. 



In 1868 Clark Kennedy wrote of this 

 species (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 36), ' has 

 greatly decreased in numbers during the last 

 ten years.' This decrease is still going on, 

 and I fully believe that unless legislation steps 

 in the goldfinch as a county resident will be 

 a bird of the past. The lessening of its 

 numbers is no doubt partially due to the 

 better cultivation of the land and the conse- 

 quent destruction of the thistle and other 

 weeds on the seeds of which it loves to feed ; 

 but its greatest enemies are the bird-catchers, 

 who take dozens in spring and autumn. 

 Some goldfinches are resident and remain 

 throughout the winter, but there is a large 

 migration at both seasons. The goldfinch 

 runs to varieties called by dealers ' cheverels.' 

 These have the throat white. 



56. Siskin. Carduelis spinus (Linn.). 



The siskin is a winter visitor and may be 

 seen most years in varying numbers. In the 

 early spring of 1 90 1 a flock of fully a hundred 

 were noticed feeding in some fir trees near 

 Park Place. It has bred in the neighbouring 

 county of Oxon, and it is possible that an 

 occasional brood may be reared in our county, 

 as a young bird has been obtained as early as 



September near Park Place, and another was 

 noticed as late as April 19, 1877 (W. H. 

 Herbert, Trans. Newbury Club, 1872-5, p. 

 250). 



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

 This agricultural pest is found everywhere 



and in increasing numbers. Few people can 

 have any idea of the damage committed by 

 these birds, or surely sparrow-clubs would be 

 restarted, for it is only by combination that 

 their numbers can be kept in check. 



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

 Fairly common and resident, breeding in 



holes in pollard willows by the rivers, thatched 

 roofs of outbuildings and other such situations. 

 It appears to be rather local. 



59. Chaffinch. Fringilla caelebs, Linn. 

 Locally, Spink, Pink. 



Very numerous and resident. Last year 

 (1901) they suddenly burst into song on 

 January 31 not one or two males but 

 dozens, and next day, although it was miser- 

 ably wet with a temperature of 36, they 

 were still singing. I never heard them 

 so early before and cannot account for this 

 sudden outburst. At the beginning of the 

 year the last part of the ' song ' is left out. 



60. Brambling. Fringilla montifringilla, Linn. 

 A winter migrant, arriving towards the 



middle of October and returning to its 

 northern home late in April. Although I 

 have never known it absent altogether it is far 

 more numerous in some years than in others, 

 depending largely on the ' beech-mast ' crop. 

 In this part of the county, where the hill- 

 sides are clad almost entirely with beech, the 

 numbers are sometimes almost incredible ; 

 flocks of many hundreds may be seen coming 

 in to roost. They are exceptionally hardy 

 birds ; I never knew one come to the food put 

 out for small birds in hard weather, although 

 scores are in the woods close by, and even 

 during the most prolonged frosts they do not 

 die of starvation like so many others of the 

 same family. Mr. A. Holte Macpherson in- 

 formed me that he had seen and heard a male 

 brambling in full song in Windsor Park in 

 June, 1885. 



61. Linnet. Linota cannabina (Linn.). 



Locally, Brown Linnet, Lentie. 

 A common resident, breeding on the gorse- 

 covered tracts and also in shrubberies and 

 pleasure grounds. It seems to show a par- 

 tiality for box bushes, and I have found four- 

 teen nests in one small corner of less than a 

 quarter of an acre on the same day. 



M7 



