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Notes on Birds in the Eastern Borders, 1895. By 

 Charles Stuart, M.D., Chirnside. 



From the commeneement of 1895 a winter of h3'^perborean 

 severity was experienced. No such continuance of frost, with 

 very low temperatures, is on record. The snowfall in the 

 Eastern Borders, however, was moderate ; on only one day 

 had I to leave the highroad with my conveyance, and take 

 to the fields, from drifts. Many opportunities occur to 

 people like myself, who are driving through a district of 

 country for several hours every day, of observing the habits 

 of the birds — their coming and going. For several days, 

 before a snowstorm, two species of birds — the Mountain 

 Finch (Brambling or Cock of the North) and the Common 

 Lark — are to be seen in flocks. The Larks, in parties from 

 twenty to a hundred, frequent the pasture fields. These 

 birds are not the songsters that delight our ears in spring ; 

 but are true migrants from a more northern region, driven 

 by the storm, till the snow follows them, and they fly farther 

 south. The Mountain Finch or Brambling is, in general, 

 seen under beech trees, feeding on the beech mast. Flocks 

 of them were seen before every snowstorm. In winter I can 

 always tell when we are going to have a fresh snowstorm, 

 by the arrival of the Mountain Finch. It was first 

 observed in the end of October, among the beech trees near 

 my house, among Chafiinches ; but in a severe season, like 

 the past winter, it keeps coming and going, according to 

 the state of the weather. I saw one flying with Chafiinches 

 as late as the third week in April. 



Sparrow Hawks and Kestrels also fly before a storm, and 

 none were seen here from before Christmas till the end of 

 March. Snow Buntings were, in considerable flocks, feeding 

 on the grass seeds of the hay laid down for the sheep, 

 when the blind drift was at its worst. Fewer Wild Geese 

 were seen than usual, flying inland ; but Dr Hardy informs 

 me that immense flocks about Oldcambus, nearer the sea, 

 frequented the fields. The Pink-footed variety seems now 

 to be the one most commonly seen. The Golden-eye Duck 

 frequented the Whitadder during the storm, and I sent a 

 specimen (shot by Mr Mitchell Innes of Whitehall) to Mr 

 Eagle-Clarke of the Edinburgh Museum. 



