268 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



and the Sedge Warbler, the Grasshopper Warbler, 

 the Tree Pipit, the Pied Flycatcher, the Swallow, and 

 the two species of Martins. At the end of the 

 month and early in May come the Garden Warbler, 

 the Wood Wren, the Tree Pipit, the Spotted Fly- 

 catcher, the Swift, and the Nightjar. The Merlin 

 migrates in April, as also does the Hen Harrier; 

 towards the end of the month we have the Quail, 

 the Stone Curlew, the Landrail, the Red-necked 

 Phalarope, the Greenshank, and the Common Sand- 

 piper. The passage of most of these birds continues 

 into May, which is the usual date for the arrival of 

 the Turtle Dove, one of the very last to reach the 

 northern woodlands. We may remark that many of 

 our more familiar summer migrants continue to 

 pass the northern shires well into May individuals 

 bound for higher latitudes than Britain. 



Spring migration is scarcely over for the year 

 when signs of the return movement begin to be 

 seen. Indications of the southern exodus first be- 

 come apparent upon the coast with the arrival usually 

 of a few northern wading birds by the middle or 

 towards the end of July. Records kept along the 

 coast also show that Wheatears, Swallows, Martins, 

 Pied Wagtails, Song Thrushes, Robins, Goldcrests, 

 Wrens, Whitethroats, Starlings, Cuckoos, and Land- 

 rails are certainly on the move. In August migra- 

 tion becomes stronger, not only as regards birds that 



