Birds. 9795 



affording occasional accommodation to water-fowl and waders, as does 

 the brook which flows for about three miles through the parish from 

 west to east. 



Osprey. — One specimen shot at the Sandhill Ponds, and is now in 

 the collection of Dr. Woodforde. 



Merlin. — As far as I know, only one specimen of this bird has been 

 seen in the parish, and that one was shot by my father many years ago. 

 This specimen is now in my collection. 



Kestrel. — Not at all uncommon. I have a tame one, which 1 shot 

 and winged slightly nearly three years ago ; it very soon became quite 

 tame, and will now take birds or mice from my hand ; it, however, 

 shows a decided partiality for birds; the only bird I have offered it 

 which it has refused is a starling. 



Sparrowhawk. — Also common here, rather more so than the last 

 species, though it is more persecuted by gamekeepers. I tried the 

 same experiment with a female sparrowhawk that I had done with the 

 kestrel, but utterly failed. 



Barn Owl. — Still tolerably common, but T am soiTy to say not 

 quite so common as they were a few years ago. 



Tawny Owl. — Not uncommon in the copses and plantations. 



Redbacked Shrike. — An occasional summer visitor, but rather rare, 

 as I cannot answer for ever having seen more than three or four within 

 the boundaries of the parish. 



Spotted Flycatcher. — One of our most numerous summer visitors, 

 though rather late in its arrival, generally from the oth to the 9lh of 

 May. 



Dipper. — Common in all the brooks in the neighbourhood. I do 

 not think these birds do much, if any, mischief to the trout, as the 

 brook here is full of trout, and I myself knew of as many as four water 

 ouzel's nests this year within the part of the brook that runs through 

 the parish. They are nearly, if not quite, our earliest nesters; last 

 year I found a nest with four young birds nearly fledged as early as the 

 21st of April, and this year I found a nest with four eggs, too much 

 sat upon to blow, on the 6th of April, though the weather up to that 

 time had been unusually cold; indeed, during the last week in March 

 there had been heavy snow-storms and severe frosts. This bird is 

 locally known as the " water colley." " Colley" is also the local name 

 of the blackbird. 



Missel Thrush. — Very common. 



Fieldfare. — Very common in the winter in the water-meadows. The 



