2426 



Birds. 



Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba). 

 Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis). 

 Skylark (Alauda arvensis). 

 Common bunting (Emberiza miliaria). 

 Black-headed bunting (E. schceniclus). 

 Yellow hammer (Emberiza citrinella). 

 Chaffinch (Fringilla ccelebs). 

 Tree sparrow (Passer montanus). 

 House sparrow (Passer domesticus). 

 Greenfinch (Coccothraustes chloris). 

 Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris). 

 Goldfinch (Carduelis elegans). 

 Siskin (Carduelis spinus). 

 Common linnet (Linota cannabina). 

 Lesser redpole (Linota linaria). 

 Bullfinch (Pyrrhula vulgaris). 

 Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). 

 Carrion crow (Corvus cor one). 

 Rook (Corvus frugilegus). 

 Jackdaw (Corvus monedula). 

 Magpie (Pica caudata). 



Jay (Garrulus glandarius). 

 Green woodpecker (Picus viridis). 

 Great spotted woodpecker (Picus major). 

 Lesser spotted woodpecker (Picus minor). 

 Common creeper (Cerlhia familiaris). 

 Wren (Troglodytes vulgaris). 

 Nuthatch (Sitta Europaa). 

 Kingfisher (Alcedo Ispida). 

 Ring dove (Columba palumbus). 

 Stock dove (Columba cenas). 

 Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). 

 Common partridge (Perdix cinerea). 

 Peewit (Vanellus cristatus). 

 Common heron (Ardea cinerea). 

 Green sandpiper (Totanus ochropus). 

 Water rail (Rallus aquaticus). 

 Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus). 

 Coot (Fulica atra). 

 Mute swan (Cygnus olor). 

 Wild duck (Anas boschas). 

 Little grebe (Podiceps minor). 



Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). We have occasionally had five or 

 six kestrels at the same time in the garden, with the feathers of one 

 wing clipped : in this and in their natural state, worms and beetles — 

 especially cockchaflfers — form a great part of their food. Much de- 

 light was shown by them when they could discover a robin or a hedge 

 sparrow in a currant-bush, covered — to preserve the fruit — with a 

 garden-mat : on such occasions the whole pack would set upon him 

 at once ; some inside the mat, and the rest scattered over the outside, 

 watching the apertures : as soon as the unlucky bird had been run 

 down, which now and then happened, the good-fellowship of his 

 pursuers vanished at once, and " detur fortiori " became the rule by 

 which the spoil was divided. One of these birds — a male — had been 

 allowed the whole use of his wings from the first : he remained with 

 us for several years, and during that period never left the premises for 

 long together : towards ourselves he never showed the least symptom 

 of temerity or ill-temper ; he would come into the house whenever he 

 pleased, and sometimes intrude his company at very unseasonable 

 hours : on one occasion, the windows being open, at luncheon-time, 

 he pounced upon a hot roasted pigeon, and bore it in triumph to the 

 roof of the house : mutton-chops and sundry other small eatables have 

 been thus abstracted. 



Of all its genus the kestrel is, wc think, the least destructive to the 



