36 



\th January, i< 



R L. Patterson, Esq., J. P., F.L.S., in the Chair. 



Mr. James Dickson read a Paper on 

 THE BIRDS OF FORTWILLIAM PARK. 



Mr. Dickson's paper dealt with the characteristics and habits 

 of the birds frequenting Fortwilliam Park, a suburb of 

 Belfast, covering an area of 150 acres. These include the 

 kestrel, sparrow-hawk, missel-thrush, song-thrush, redwing, 

 fieldfare, blackbird, robin, stonechat, grasshopper warbler, sedge- 

 warbler, garden- warbler, whitethroat, willow wren, chiff-chaff, 

 goldcrest, great-tit, blue-tit, coal-tit, hedge-sparrow, wren, com- 

 mon creeper, rook, jackdaw, magpie, starling, bullfinch, house- 

 sparrow, greenfinch, chaffinch, linnet, twite, lesser redpole, reed- 

 bunting, yellow-hammer, swallow, house-martin, sand-martin, 

 pied wagtail, grey wagtail, meadow pipit, skylark, common 

 swift, king-fisher, cuckoo, ringdove, pheasant, heron, corncrake, 

 waterhen, lapwing, curlew, redshank, woodcock, snipe, jacksnipe, 

 wild-duck, and black-headed gull. 



Referring to the kestrel, which nests regularly in the rocky 

 cliffs of the Cave Hill, and occasionally pays the Park a visit, he 

 said it is not generally known that this is a migratory bird. It 

 leaves us in autumn to join the great flock of hawks which 

 " stretch their wings toward the south." In this country it 

 feeds chiefly on mice and beetles, though the few kestrels that 

 remain with us throughout the winter no doubt largely subsist 

 on small birds. It is found during our winter months in swarms 



