25 



THE WHINCHAT. 



Pratincola ruhetra (L.) 



Trom the records for the spring* of 1905 it appears that 

 the Whinchat usually carries on its migrations in small 

 numbers, and arrives in the south-eastern counties of 

 Englando 



The first record was on March 15th, a very early date. 

 The next arrival was not noted until April 6th, and during 

 the next ten days the records were very few, and referred, 

 almost without exception, to birds in the eastern part of 

 the country, there being only two or three records from 

 Shropshire and Cheshire. 



The first marked immigration, which was, however, a 

 small one, occurred on the 16th and 17th of April, in 

 Essex. The large majority of these immigrants passed on 

 in a north-westerly direction into Cheshire, Lancashire 

 and North Wales, and until the advent of the next im- 

 migration very few Whinchats were left in the south. 

 These birds, however, although their progress northwards 

 was slow, did not stay in the north-west of England, but 

 gradually dwindled in numbers until by April 27th all had 

 disappeared. 



The second immigration, which was also small, occurred 

 along the south-east coast from Essex to Hampshire on 

 the 26th and 27th April. These birds quickly followed on 

 the lines of their predecessors, and passed through the 

 country into Wales and the West of England, where they 

 began to arrive on the 1st of May, bringing with them 

 the stragglers left over in the south by the former 

 immigration. 



Between the 30th of April and 6th of May the birds 

 were apparently almost entirely absent from the southern 



