SHORT NOTES : ORNITHOLOGY. 



19 



Breeding of the Hawfinch in Durham and Northumber- 

 land. — Through the kmdness of Mr. H. T. Archer, of Newcastle, and Mr. Thomas 

 Thompson, of Winlaton, I have pleasure in recording a northward extension of the 

 breeding range of this bird, a nest having been found this year in each of these 

 counties. In Durham, a nest containing two eggs was found in an oak, fifty feet 

 from the ground, on the 29th of May, and in' Northumberland, one near Riding 

 Mill on Tyne, in a pear tree, about five feet from the ground, also contained eggs, 

 all but one of which were broken by some unknown means. Both nests and the 

 eggs are now in Mr. Thompson's collection. 



This record is of great interest, as the Hawfinch is a species which, like the 

 Missel-thrush of old and the Stock-dove, Nightingale, and others, at the present 

 day, is slowly, but surely, extending its range northwards. A retrospect of its 

 position as a British bird shows that in 1839 Yarrell noted it as a resident in some 

 numbers locally in the south of England, and as having occurred casually elsewhere. 

 Alacgillivray (1840) said it was a winter visitant, 'individuals' being permanently 

 resident, especially in the vicinity of Epping Forest. From the days of the first 

 edition of Yarrell and of Macgillivray down to the present, we are able to trace 

 in the succeeding works on British ornithology, its gradual diffusion as a resident 

 throughout the southern and central counties of England, northwards to and 

 including Yorkshire. This county, however, has hitherto formed the northern 

 limit to its range during the breeding season, and a reference to Mr. John Hancock's 

 authoritative work on the 'Birds of Northumberland and Durham' (1874), informs 

 us that in those counties the Hawfinch was a rare- casual visitant, not known to 

 breed. — Wm. Eagle Clarke, July, 1884. 



Additions to the Avifauna of Washbumdale— On the 31st of 



August, 1883, whilst fishing in Fewston Reservoir, I saw an Oyster-catcher on the 

 south side, near to the small streamlet known as Thackeray Beck. The bird was very 

 shy, not allowing me to approach it, but by sending a man round to drive it from 

 its feeding ground, and concealing myself behind some trees where it was likely to 

 pass, I soon got a shot at it. It proved to be a mature bird in good plumage, 

 and was well fed and in good condition. You may be rdso interested to know that 

 on the 7th of September, 1883, an Arctic Tern in its first year's plumage was picked 

 up dead on Blubberhouses Moor. On the 4th and 5th, the wind had been blowing 

 strong from the west, and the bird may have been driven before it from the West 

 Coast. — Walsingham. 



— Since the publication of the list of birds of Washburndale, in last year's 

 ' Naturalist,' (1883, page 12), I have observed the following species in the district, 

 their occurrence being chiefly interesting as additions to the list : — the Linnet 

 {Linota cannabina), the Black-headed Gull {Lams ridibundiis), and the Common 

 Gull (Z. camis), the two latter species being observed on Fewston reservoir in early 

 June this year. In January last, the Goldeneye was not uncommon on the reservoir, 

 and among the party were several old males, which is especially worthy of note, 

 since mature birds of this species are always considered rare in the county. — 

 William Eagle Clarke, July, 1884. 



Great Tit and Bees. — a Great Tit has this year nested and reared her 

 young in one of the boxes I have near the garden, and when the young ones were 

 a few days old I found the parents were feeding them on bees. They visited the 

 hives every few minutes, settling on the stone in front of the hive, and taking a 

 bee, flew off to the box. Having plenty of bees, and being fond of the Tits, I own 

 I was pleased to see the performance, but often wondered how the young birds 

 swallowed the insects without getting the stings into either their mouths or 

 throats. — J. Whitaker, Rainworth Lodge, near Mansfield, Notts. 



Spring Birds near Mansfield.— The arrival of spring birds this year has 

 been a little later than the average, and many of them in smaller numbers, especially 

 Chiffchaffs ; and about here, where we have usually forty or fifty pairs, we have 

 this year only three pairs. Cuckoos and Corncrakes are scarce ; but there are more 

 Willow Wrens and Hedge Warblers than I ever remember ; and Turtle Doves are 

 well represented : on May loth I saw thirty-one in a flock. After seven years' 

 absence the Garden Warbler is again visiting us, and we have five or six pairs about, 

 but I am sorry to say there are no Nightingales. — J. Whitaker. 



Aug. 1884. 



