The Migration of Birds. By James Hardy. 563 



- 1883. 

 January. 

 Jan. 1, Grey Wagtail afc Penmanshiel Tunnel. Jan. 2, 5 or 6 Cole Tits in 

 JBovrshiel dean ; and 2 Tree Creepers : no other birds. Jan. 3, RedhengH 

 moors ; a Reed Bunting the only small bird visible on the open moors. 

 Jan. 4, 17 Grebes of medium size off Siccar. Jan. 10, Two parties of 

 Wild Ducks at sea. Jan, 22, Black-headed Gixlls in winter dress at 

 ploughed fields, and again on 23rd near Dunbar. Jan. 25, Nearly 100 

 Ducks at sea ; the first great company seen this winter. Jan. 27, Lap- 

 wings arrived at Penmanshiel, but left when snow fell ; Grey and Pied 

 Wagtails at Tunnel mouth in end of January and beginning of February. 



February. 



Feb. 1, Frosty. Ploughs stopped. 90 Wild Ducks in three bands at 

 <sea ; 3 or 4 Redshanks ; 5 or 6 Curlews ; and 24 Grebes. Female Stone- 

 chat in dean. Feb. 5, One Black-headed Gull. Feb. 6, One Heron at sea', 

 and 14 Wild Ducks. Feb. 3, About 100 Sea-side Pigeons feeding on a field 

 of young clover. Eider Ducks (2) at sea for first time this year. Feb. 16, 

 A few Wild Geese at Penmanshiel crossing country. Feb. 18, About 100 

 Ducks at sea ; Rooks attacked young wheat, induced by the presence of 

 Sea Pigeons on it, which are difficult to scare. Feb. 19, 4 large Grebes at 

 sea, and no Wild Ducks. Yellow-hammers seldom crowd, but to-day I 

 counted 16 on one furze-bush. Feb. 23, 5 or 6 Lapwings appeared ; Rooks 

 again attacking spring wheat. Feb. 24, Greater Tit, called " Black head," 

 active among hive-bees out airing ; Water-hen returned to pond. Feb. 28, 

 •Rooks picking holes in turnips that had been eaten across by feeding 

 ■sheep ; very active and greedy all day on young wheat, along with Sea 

 ■Pigeons. A Rook flying with its mouth open emitted sounds from its 

 throat like nuts being cracked. A Jackdaw that had been left behind, 

 when its neighbours fled, quite overjoyed to regain its companions, flew 

 -wildly zig-zag downwards till it landed among them. Pied Wagtails in 

 cattle-folds at Reston. 



March. 



- Mar. 1, 4 Wild Geese. Mar. 2, Lapwings in parties of 28 and 14 hover- 

 ing, uncertain of a fixed locality. Mar. 5, One Black-headed Gull near 

 Dunbar ; Lapwings very numerous in East Lothian fields. Mar. 10, Rooks 

 again attempted young wheat, and began to rob from stacks standing in 

 fields; 1 Fieldfare on sea-banks; Water-hen frozen out of pond in dean, 

 in crossing fields for some open ditch, found its waj^ through a' close wire- 

 fence into the garden. On 11th it was feeding on corn with the poultry at 

 the barn-door ; and fiew off, the poultry screaming as if a hawk had mani- 

 fested itself. Mar. 19, Jackdaws attacked young wheat. Mar. 20, Snowy 

 weather. Lapwings in sheep-folds. Mar. 27, Guillemot cast ashore ; I 

 Heron on coast only; 4 Redstarts and 6 Curlews; and 10 Eiders at sea. 

 Mar. 31, After a thaw, a male Pied Wagtail arrived at sheep-fold. 



