A HISTORY OF KENT 



two specimens in the Dover Museum from 

 Lydd, where this species has nested 

 (Plomley). 



44. Grey Wagtail. Motadlla melanopr^ 



Pallas. 

 A summer and winter visitant, but very 

 locally distributed. It keeps much to the 

 vicinity of running water, and is seldom found 

 like the pied wagtail on fallow or grass 

 land. In September immature birds visit our 

 brooks and streams on their migration south- 

 ward, often remaining for several days in the 

 locality, while during winter an occasional 

 adult bird has come under my notice. It 

 breeds very sparingly in the county. I have 

 records of nests taken near Cranbrook and in 

 the vicinity of Dover, not far from the river. 

 It does not appear to breed in the Rainham 

 district, but is now and again met with 

 during winter in the marsh land (Prentis). 



45. Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail. Motadlla 



Jlava, Linn. 

 An occasional summer visitor. An indi- 

 vidual was killed by striking itself against the 

 telegraph wires between Deal and Dover on 

 I May 1889. Mr. Oxenden Hammond iden- 

 tified the bird soon after it was picked up. 



46. Yellow Wagtail. Motadlla rait (Bona- 



parte) 

 A summer visitor to the county, the influx 

 in some years being considerable. Many 

 breed in the dyke land between Rye and 

 Dungeness, where I have frequently found 

 nests. A few individuals pass further inland 

 and frequent plough land and pea fields, where 

 they breed. I have seen them near Ashford, 

 frequenting bean fields, to which they seem 

 very partial. Towards the end of August 

 they begin to congregate prior to departure, 

 and may sometimes be seen in considerable 

 numbers on the south coast. The young are 

 the first to depart, the old birds going some- 

 what later, some of which remain with us 

 till quite late in autumn. In 1894 a bird 

 was observed at Cranbrook on 1 9 October. 

 The following note is from my diary during 

 the migration season near Rye in 1896 : 

 ' On August 27th, during the evening, an ex- 

 traordinary influx of yellow wagtails took 

 place. The bean and stubble fields became 

 literally alive with them, while many perched 

 after the manner of swallows on the telegraph 

 wires near the sea-wall. Just now the 

 males of this species are very quarrelsome and 

 may constantly be seen fighting amongst them- 

 selves.' This wagtail arrives in the county with 

 considerable regularity. In 1S95 it appeared 



at Cranbrook on 2 April, and in the following 

 year on 26 March. Mr. Prentis of Rain- 

 ham says : ' The yellow wagtail comes on 

 or about April loth, sooner or later accord- 

 ing to the weather : they breed as a rule in 

 our pea-fields, not often in the clover.' On 

 10 April 1895 Mr. Springett of Cranbrook 

 received a beautifully coloured specimen 

 obtained in the neighbourhood. The whole 

 of the underparts were a rich sulphur-yellow. 

 Examples of this kind not unfrequently 

 occur. Mr. Prentis says : ' the first-comers 

 on the spring migration are always the most 

 brilliant in plumage.' 



47. Tree-Pipit. Anthus trivlalis (Linn.) 



A well distributed summer visitor, arriving 

 during the first week in April and leaving 

 again in September. It frequents copses and 

 woods (especially those of the latter that have 

 been cut over) in the vicinity of moist low- 

 lying ground. Mr. Prentis says : ' In the 

 Rainham district, when making hay near the 

 woods, the tree-pipit flies from heap to heap, 

 keeping the hay-makers company, singing all 

 the while its pleasing song.' This bird 

 arrives in the county with surprising regu- 

 larity. In the Cranbrook district in 1894, 

 1895 and 1896 the dates of arrival were 7, 

 4 and 2 April respectively. 



48. Meadow-Pipit. Jnthus pratensis [L'mn.) 

 A resident in the county throughout the 



year, but the majority, consisting chiefly of 

 young birds, leave in September, when I have 

 observed considerable parties feeding on 

 grass seeds among the sand dunes in the 

 vicinity of the south coast, prior to their 

 departure across the Channel. In March a 

 return migration takes place, small parties 

 after leaving the coast line coming to our 

 meadows, where they disperse and pair off for 

 the breeding season. 



49. Red- throated Pipit. Anthus cerv'inus 



(Pallas) 

 An example of this rare species was shot 

 by Mr. Prentis at Rainham in April 1880 

 {Birds of Rainham, p. 32). It was identified 

 by Dr. R. B. Sharpe. 



50. Richard's Pipit. Anthus ridjardi, VieWlot. 

 This rare pipit has been obtained twice in 



the county, while on another occasion in the 

 year 1 890 it was observed at Rainham by Mr. 

 Prentis. The late Mr. Charles Gordon of the 

 Dover Museum, writing in October i868, 

 says : 'On the 2 1st of October, I shot a 

 most superb specimen of Richard's Pipit in a 

 cornfield in the environs of Dover. It 



