Suminer Ramble in Chirnside Woods. By C. Stuart. 579 



flies, so restless, jerky, and active. A trellis of roses over my door, for 

 many years afforded shelter to a pair of these birds, and I had many 

 opportunities of watching their motions hawking for insects and moths, 

 darting out and seizing their prey with wonderful skill. They were very 

 tame and trustful to inmates of the house, and it seemed wonderful that 

 for several years they always returned to their old nesting place. Tn the 

 autumn after rearing their young, companies of them and Willow Wrens 

 like a little fruit and frequent my garden to obtain a few raspberries or 

 currants which they seem to prefer. In the evening Mr Evans was again 

 at Whitehall, watching the Chiff-chaff. When the daylight was fading, 

 an Owl came out of a bush, and began hooting, quite close to where he 

 was lying hid near the gravel pit. The small birds alarmed by the noise, 

 left their roosting places, and came out to see what was the matter. 

 Among others the Blackcap Warbler, Sylria atricapilla, appeared quite 

 close to my friend, who next morning discovered its nest in a flowering 

 currant bush close at hand. In going to Chirnside bridge Mr E. heard 

 this bird singing on the top of the beeches at the Rock House, and I saw 

 it fly off into the garden. This was very near where we were looking for 

 it two days before, as it was only a continuation of the Ninewells Banks. 

 This same day I saw the Blackcap near the iron bridge above Blackadder 

 House, when it flew off the beeches, into the garden there. It is a very 

 shy bird, and not often seen. Its song is nearer the Nightingale than any 

 other of the warblers. I believe it is not an uncommon bird in the East 

 of Berwickshire, as it has been detected in many places in the district ; 

 Union Bridge; Blackadder; Ninewells; Whitehall; Paxton ; and Fish wick 

 Mains. In conclusion the woods situated in the north of the Parish, 

 contain many fewer birds, than those along the course of the rivers. In 

 an excursion to the Mains and Edington woods, the suminer migrants were 

 in the minority; a few Gold-crests, Redstarts, and Tree Pipits, being 

 their sole representatives. The great highway of migration is always by 

 the rivers banks, never across the country. Birds exhausted by flying 

 long distances, have an objection to fly over the high cliffs of our rock 

 bound coast and choose the easier path, by the river banks, or along the 

 sea-shore. This has been proved beyond dispute at St. Abbs' lighthouse, 

 where few of our smaller migrants, are ever seen. At the Isle of May the 

 contrary is the case, where all variety and species congregate in their 

 passage up the Forth. 



