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NOTES ON BIRDS MADE DURING THREE SHORT 

 VISITS TO THE BEACH AT DUNGENESS. 



By Thomas Hepburn. 



These observations were made on May 10th-14th, June 

 3rd-4th, and July 16th-21st (1900). 



Mistle-Thrush (Turdus viscivorus). — May 10th. Found a nest in 

 one of the clumps of elder and holly bushes, which are a feature of 

 this stretch of beach. The nest was in the fork of an elder-bush not 

 more than three feet above the ground. The outside of the nest was 

 made almost entirely of sheep's wool, with a few sticks entangled in 

 it, and was neatly lined with fine grass. It contained four young birds 

 about a week old. July 16th-21st. Noticed considerable numbers of 

 these birds on the grass-lands and meadows which join the beach. 

 They seemed to be mostly young birds. 



Song-Thrush {T. musicus), Blackbird (T. merula). — These birds 

 were also nesting in the patches of bush on the beach. 



Wheatear (Saxicola cenanthe). — May 10th-14th. Nesting every- 

 where. Found two nests in crevices of the military earthworks, one 

 in an empty shell-case, and another in an empty tin can. The eggs in 

 one of the nests were fresh, in the others hard sat. June 3rd-4th. 

 Found a nest with three fresh eggs in a crack in a bank of earth. 

 July 16th-21st. Old and young birds all over the beach and adjacent 

 meadows. 



Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus streperus). — July 16th-21st. Found 

 three nests in the reeds fringing a pool of water on the marsh-land ; 

 one containing three perfectly fresh eggs, another with three young 

 birds and an addled egg, and a third from which the birds had evi- 

 dently just flown. The birds were singing all round in the reed-bed. 



Sedge-Warbler (A. phragmitis). — Common everywhere amongst 

 the growth on the edges of pools and dykes. 



Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris). — Common near the fishermen's 



or coastguards' cottages and farm-buildings. Rather a favourite 



nesting-place for them was amongst the stacks of fish-boxes near the 

 coast. 



Yellow Wagtail (M. rail). — A common bird on the marsh-land. 



