NOTES FROM NORTHAMPTONSHIEE. '^53 



the Little Owl, Athena noctua, in all probability one of many 

 that have at various times been turned out in several English 



counties. 



Although it perhaps can hardly be considered as commg 

 legitimately under the head of County Ornithology, I think that 

 it is worthy of record that three Nutcrackers, Nucifmga carijo- 

 catactes, in the aviary at Lilford, catch and devour many mice 

 that find their way into the compartment allotted to these most 



amusing birds. 



June 25th. Mr. Hunt told me that this morning he saw four 



Terns (sp. ?) hotly pursuing a Heron. 



June 27th. A nest of House Sparrows, containing six purely 

 white eggs, was taken from the wall of the kitchen-garden at 

 Lilford, and brought to me. 



A nest of the Eedstart, from which five young birds took 

 their departure some time ago, was shown to me in the flower- 

 garden at Lilford in a somewhat unusual situation, about three 

 feet from the ground, in a very dense, cHpped, Irish yew. 



June 30th. A sudden appearance of very large numbers of 

 House Martins— which species had up to this date been 

 remarkably scarce — about the house at Lilford. 



One of the gamekeepers reported having seen two Snipes at a 

 pond near Thorpe on the 29th. In this connection I may 

 mention that being anxious to ascertain the fact, of which I have 

 for many years had my suspicions, of the Snipe's nesting 

 near Lilford, I this year offered a high reward to any of our 

 people who could show the eggs in situ; but although I received 

 notice of Snipes being seen at intervals throughout April, and 

 Mr. Hunt reported one as " doing the skimming and soaring 

 business pecuhar to the breeding season" on the 29th of that 

 month, and one was seen at our decoy on June 3rd, no nest, nor 

 any sign of one, was discovered, and I am incHned to thmk that 

 a few Snipes remained through the summer in our neighbourhood 



without nesting. tvt i i + 



July 6th. First report of Green Sandpiper since March last. 

 July nth. The falconer reported an "old blue Falcon'' as 

 passing within a few yards of him near the house at Lilford. 

 Mr. Hunt, a few days subsequently, told me that he had seen a 

 Falcon, in the plumage above mentioned, on two consecutive days 

 near Aldwinkle, and felt nearly sure that she carried jesses. 



