453 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



NOTES ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 



By the Right. Hon. Lord Lilford. 



I RESUME my notes from my last date, April 15th (Zool. 1887, 

 p. 254). The dates concerning migratory species refer, with 

 a few specified exceptions, to the neighbourhood of Lilford, 

 Oundle. 



April 16. Common Sandpiper. 



,, 17. Wryneck and Spotted Flycatcher. 



,, 18. Cuckoo, 



,, 19. Swallow. 



,, 20. House Martin, Nightingale, and Tree Pipit. 



„ 21. Swift. 



„ 23. Curlew. 



„ 25. Sedge Warbler and Redstart. 



„ 26. Whitethroat and Lesser Wliitethroat. 



,, 27. Reed Warbler and two Wigeon. 



,, 28. Ring Ouzel, Landrail, and five large Gulls (sp. ?). 



„ 30. Hobby. 



May 1. Turtle Dove (Thrapston). 



„ 3. Wood Warbler, and Pied Flycatcher (Yardley Chase). 



„ 10. Whimbrel. 



„ 24. Red-backed Shrike. 



In a letter dated May 5th, Captain J. A. M. Vipan informed 

 me that a Woodcock flew against the telegraph-wires between 

 Stanground and Peterborough, on the 3rd inst., and was picked 

 up alive by a workman. Mr. W. Tomalin, of Northampton, 

 informed me that he had received an authentic report of the 

 nesting of the Pied Flycatcher at Harlestone last year (1886). 

 This is the first notice that I have received af the nesting of this 

 species in our county. Mr. G. Hunt, writing on May 22nd, told 

 me that his gamekeeper's son, in April, came face to face with a 

 small Owl sitting on a low branch of an oak in Bearshank Wood 

 near Wadenhoe, and that this Owl sat bobbing, bowing, and 

 winking at him Avithin a few feet for some minutes. The youth 

 stated that this bird was of " about the size of a Thrush,' and 

 made him laugh, but he carefully kept the occurrence to himself 

 for about a month. This bird was without doubt a specimen of 



