There is a fair stretch of Calluna and, in one corner, Purple Moor 

 Grass, Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench. and the Bell Heather, Erica 

 cinerea L. 



E. Scott, d.s.o. 



THE BLACK REDSTART 



/^N Wednesday, April 13th, 1955, I, was looking out into our small 

 ^-^ garden where miracles of bird life enact themselves daily, when I 

 caught unusual, soft, gentle movements. A complete stranger, dark 

 and dusky-coated was present. Light of build and movement, he about 

 equalled in size the odd sparrows and goldfinches nearby. His thin 

 beak stood out with a white triangle above and a shiny black choker 

 beneath, his russet breast colouring continued below his wide oval 

 body to well under his dark tail feathers. Keeping a horizontal stance 

 he explored five clear points of the garden hopping on the daintiest 

 pair of feet, then flew away westward towards a busy roadway. Familiars 

 always leave in the other, well-wooded direction. Those, perhaps two 

 minutes, left me breathless with surprise and summer enquiries gave 

 me no real clues as to the bird's identity. Eventually, in Cassell's 

 Concise Cyclopaedia, 1901, I found that I had seen a BLACK RED- 

 START. 



In January, 1955, I thought a wood pigeon in the poulterer's shop 

 looked interesting. I found in its crop 368 fresh, green, ivy berries 

 with 3 in the gizzard. An easy shot for the sportsman. 



A. L. Wyborn. 



LATE NESTING OF THE GREAT TIT 



Parus Major Newtoni 



WHILE on duty at the Skeete/Lyminge Pumping Station on October 

 21st, 1954, I noted a Male Great Tit taking nesting materials down 

 the vent pipe of the tank outside the Pump house. Upon investigation 

 I found a partly built nest which unfortunately I had to destroy as it 

 was in the exhaust gas pipe taking away the fumes of the chlorine gas 

 injected into the tank for purification. Witherby states breeding season 

 begins April to June. 



W. Hill, d.s.m. 



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