310 



List of the Birds of the New Forest District. 



:app. 



birds along- the south-east coast of the ; excellent account of tlie birds of the 



Forest in Gilpin's time (vol. II. ]j]). 172, j Isle of Wii;ht, doubts whether more 



302, third edition), hut are now be- than one or two pairs now annually 



coming rare ; and Mr. More, in his I breed in the Island. 



Thus the Forest possesses in all seventy-two residents. The common 

 buzzard, the merlin, the henharrier, the three owls, and as many wood- 

 peckers, with the nuthatch and the stockdove, well indicate its woody 

 and heathy character. Upon comparing this mth Mr. More's list of 

 the residents of the Isle of Wight, we find that the Forest possesses 

 fourteen more than that Island. The principal additions consist, as 

 might be expected, of the common buzzard, black-grouse, green and 

 great and lesser spotted woodpeckers, common snipe, and woodcock, 

 although by the way the last, to my knowledge, breeds in the Island, 

 as also probably the little grebe. 



The summer visitors are arranged by the date of the arrival of the 

 main body, drawn partly from Mr. Rake's and my own observations. In 

 a few cases, as a further criterion, I have given the dates of their 

 nesting spread over the last four years. 



Chiffchaff. {Sylvia riifa. Lath.) 

 Arrives about the middle and cud of 

 March. Common. 



Wheatkak. (Sylvia cenajithe. Lath.) 

 Follows very close after the chiffchaff ; 

 but the bird is scarce. 



Sandmaktin. (Hiruiido riparia, 

 Lath.) In 1862, Mr. Rake saw some 

 specimens near Fordingbridge on 

 March 15th, about a week earlier than 

 usiuil. 



Martin. (Hirundo urbica, Lin.) 

 Arrives with the sandmartin about the 

 end of March, though sometimes both 

 are seen a little earlier. 



Swallow. (Hirundo ritstua, Lin.) 



Wkyneck. (F««.r torgudia, Lin.) 

 Generally to be heard about the end 

 of March and beginning of April. 

 Known in the Forest as the " Little 

 Eten bird ; " and from its cry the " Weet 

 bird." Mr. Rake both heard and saw 

 one as late as Dec. 5, 1861. 



Rf.dstart. (Sylvia phcenicurus, 

 Lath.) Beginning of April. 



Thioknee. {(Edicnamus crepitans, 

 Tem.) It is possible that some may 

 remain to I>rced. 



Nightingale. (Sylvia lusctuia. 

 Lath.) About the middle of May their 

 nests are mostly found in the Forest. 



Cuckoo. (Cuculus canorus, Liu.) 

 May 26 and June 1 are the dates when 

 I have found its eggs placed, in one 

 case, at Baishley, in a hedge sjiaiTOw's, 

 and. in the other, on Beaulieu Common, 

 in a titlark's nest. 



Blackcap. (Sylvia atricapdla, 

 Lath.) Arrives about the beginning 

 and middle of April. 



Ray's Wagtail. (Motucilla cam- 

 pestris, Pall.) Known in the New 

 Forest as the " Barley bird," as it ap- 

 pears about the time barley is sown. 

 Probably does not breed. 



Grasshopper Warbler. (Sylvia 

 locustella, Lath.) Breeds in the young 

 plantations, but is by no means common. 



Sedge Warbler. (Sylvia Phrag- 

 mitis, Bechst.) Veiy scarce. 



