326 Notes on Birds in the Eastern Borders. 



No Green Plovers were seen from the windy Saturday, 

 22nd December, till the 8th March — a period during which 

 no out-of-door work could be gone about. After tremendous 

 snowblasts from the north on the 7th February, three Little 

 Auks, birds from the Polar Ocean, were blown inland in the 

 eastern district by the storm. One was found alive in a 

 little garden in front of the cottages at New Edrom, 12 miles 

 from the sea. Another dead one was picked up at Foulden 

 Deans, four miles from the sea, and a third in Whitsome 

 Parish, eight miles from the sea. Many others of course 

 were found by various observers, but those recorded were 

 seen by myself. Hundreds were found all along the sea- 

 shores from Cockenzie to Berwick. 



The Missel Thrush remains with us always, and breeds 

 in the spring season. Although a bully among birds, he 

 prefers company in the winter, like his cousins, the Field- 

 fares and Eedwings, who are true migrants, and leave us 

 only when they consider that they can get a livelihood in 

 their own country. The Black-headed Bunting, Corn Bunting, 

 and Yellow Hammer remain with us all winter ; indeed all 

 three breed here every season. The Corn Bunting has 

 increased of late years in my neighbourhood. A few Gray- 

 backed or Hooded Crows, a solitary Magpie, the former 

 rarely seen inland, frequented the sheep boxes in the fields. 



The barometer gave little indication to fresh weather, 

 remaining for a lengthened period as high as the mercury 

 could stand. 



A single Green Plover flew over my house westward on 

 the 28th February, and a pair on the 5th March, which I 

 hailed as a favourable omen ; and for several days parties 

 of these birds passed westward. The earth began gradually 

 to thaw, and within another week the Green Plovers were 

 paired. 



In general. Partridges pair up about the 15th January. 

 When severe weather comes they again pack. This season 

 none were seen in pairs till the 15th February, and after 

 that date they often packed. 



The first note of the Blackbird was heard on the 5th 

 March. The Thrush sings earlier ; but he was a great 

 sufferer in the frost, being a grub eater, and is even now 

 scarce. I miss his fine modulated song among the woodland 



