A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE 



wing, which became apparent when relieved 

 against the dark ground. I entertain but 

 little doubt that it was a white-winged lark 

 [Alauda siberica). A supposed sky-lark, having 

 white in each wing, was seen by my brother 

 and a friend in September, 1898, when part- 

 ridge shooting near Littleton, which may 

 have also been a bird of that species, though 

 of course the probability would be in favour 

 of its being only a pied sky-lark. 



83. Wood-Lark. Alauda arborea, Linn. 



In the valley of the Avon, as well as in 

 other parts of the county, the wood-lark is rare, 

 but its peculiar but cheery song may frequently 

 be heard in the valley of the Teme. 



84. Swift. Cypselus apus (Linn.). 



While the swallows and martins have so 

 seriously diminished in numbers, the swift is 

 quite as plentiful as it ever was. It is so 

 emphatically a bird of the air that the common 

 people say it ascends into the higher regions 

 of the atmosphere to roost ! That the inter- 

 course between the sexes takes place high up 

 in the air, as observed by Gilbert White at 

 Selborne, the present writer can from personal 

 observation confirm. 



Whether the alpine swift, Cypselus melba 

 (Linn.) can be claimed as a Worcestershire 

 bird, or even as a Gloucestershire species, is 

 open to question, but a swift of great size and 

 having a white under part passed over the 

 present writer near the village of Weston-on- 

 Avon, within gun-shot, in the first week in 

 July, 1876, flying in a south-west direction. 

 There can be no doubt that it was either an 

 alpine swift, or the still rarer needle-tailed 

 swift, AcanthyUis caudacuta (Latham). 



85. Nightjar. Caprimulgus europaus, Linn. 

 The nightjar, or goatsucker, cannot be called 



at all abundant in the county ; but is met 

 with in such localities as are congenial to its 

 habits, which may indeed be said of its appear- 

 ance in other counties. Its abundance or the 

 reverse appears to be dependent rather on 

 the nature of the locality than its latitude. 

 Hastings is silent about the goatsucker. It is 

 still fairly plentiful in Wyre Forest. In the 

 Malvern district it is said by both Lees and 

 Edwards to be not uncommon, and the latter 

 gentleman has met with the nest and eggs. 

 It has also bred at Cracomb near Evesham. 



86. Wryneck. lynx torquilla, Linn. 



The wryneck, though not rare, is much less 

 frequently heard or seen than formerly, and 

 from enquiry it appears to be seldom brought 

 to the bird stuffers for preservation. The 



falling off in numbers may be attributed to the 

 want of proper habitats, as the old orchards of 

 Worcestershire were everything that could be 

 desired, affording at once abundance of insect 

 food as well as suitable building places ; but 

 the more modern orchards afford neither. 



87. Green Woodpecker. Gecinus viridis 



(Linn.). 

 Locally, Iccle (? Hicicwall). 

 This bird is one which, notwithstanding 

 the diminution in the quantity of timber, still 

 remains as common as heretofore, and may 

 be seen and heard in suitable localities at all 

 seasons. 



88. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dendrocopus 



major (Linn.). 

 Hastings says nothing of this woodpecker 

 by which we can learn anything of its fre- 

 quency, only that it is less common than the 

 green woodpecker. Lees gives it as occurring 

 near Malvern, where it is ' rather uncommon.' 

 It appears to be more common in that part of 

 the county adjoining Herefordshire than else- 

 where, from which locality a considerable 

 number of species are annually brought into 

 Worcester for preservation. 



89. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendroco- 



pus minor (Linn.). 

 More frequent in the county than the last, 

 this little bird is also more generally distributed, 

 and is partial to orchards, in which in the 

 early spring it makes its presence known by 

 its loud jarring noise, said to be occasioned 

 by the rapid action of the bill on a decayed 

 branch. It has a habit at that season of 

 climbing up to the very top sprig of a tall tree, 

 and from that conspicuous place uttering its 

 note, which somewhat resembles that of the 

 wryneck, but is keener and louder. The nest 

 is in a hole made by the bird in a dead branch 

 high up in an apple, plum, or cherry tree, in 

 an orchard or garden. The statement that 

 the young will issue from the hole and climb 

 about the tree is, so far as the observation of 

 the writer has gone, entirely erroneous. On 

 the contrary they sometimes issue from the 

 hole and fall to the ground, as he can affirm 

 from personal observation. 



90. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. 



A good deal has been said of late about the 

 scarcity of the kingfisher, and the wanton 

 destruction of the bird on account of the beauty 

 of its plumage has been mentioned as the sole 

 cause. That the blue plumage has exercised 

 great influence in the reduction of the number 

 ofthis the most brilliantly-coloured British bird 

 there can be no doubt. Only quite recently 



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