Birds by Land and Sea 



Close observation of a comparatively limited area 

 thus afforded evidence of the two successive migra- 

 tions of wheatears first the smaller form, which is 

 our British breeding-bird ; then the larger one, 

 which is known to pass as far north as Greenland 

 for nesting purposes. 



Although the chiff-chaff was 'announced as having 

 arrived on the 2jth March on the other side of the 

 Cheshire border, he was not yet to be found in some 

 of his usual summer haunts on the Lancashire side. 



All our winter stay-at-homes, however, were 

 then in full song again. The yellow-hammer 

 opened with his " little - bit - o' - bread - and - no - 

 che-e-s-e" note on the 4th March, and, although 

 rather weak in the " cheese " for some days, after- 

 wards made up for the deficiency with characteristic 

 industry. 



The corn-bunting had now completed his re- 

 markable record of winter singing, and carried it 

 on into spring with increasing energy. The green- 

 finch struck up its somewhat similar " rag-tearing " 

 scream on the 29th. 



Cock chaffinches only occasionally favour us 

 by their early company, but the rattling song 

 which was first heard at Stretford on the 22nd 

 March, must have caused a flutter among the 

 numerous mild-mannered females who had been 

 playing the part of grass widows in the neighbour- 

 hood since the fall of the preceding year. 



The courting of the missel-thrushes still continued 

 86 



