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NOTES ON BIRDS OF THE EDEN VALLEY. 



HARRY BRITTEN, 



Salkeld Dykes. 



The district covered by these notes extends from the confluence 

 of the Eamont and Eden to Armathvvaite Bridge, enclosing- 

 a strip of country about a mile wide on either side of the river. 

 My personal observations in the district cover a period of about 

 twenty years. 



Mistle-Thrush. This bird is common as a breeding- species in the 

 Eden Vallev. 



Song-Thrush. This fine song-ster is abundant in the Eden Valley, and 

 is in the habit of placing- its nest in very singular positions. I find 

 nests regularly in cattle sheds, placed on the walls or beams, also in 

 holes in stone walls ; whilst on one occasion I found a nest placed 

 under a tuft of grass on the ground. The nests had not been built in 

 these situations for lack of suitable trees and bushes as nesting sites,, 

 for in two different cattle sheds placed alongside woods the Thrush 

 nests annually, and the nest found on the ground was in a wood, where 

 there were plenty of young Scotch and spruce fir trees. 

 .Redwing, Blackbird, Ring-Ousel, Wheatear, Whinchat, Redstart^ 

 Redbreast, and Whitethroat are plentiful ; the Ring-Ousel only on 

 mig-ration. 



Stonechat. I have only seen this bird on migration in the Eden Valley. 



Blackcap. I have never found this bird nesting in this portion of the Eden 

 Valley, and have only seen it very rarely on its first arrival in spring. 



Garden Warbler. This fine song-ster is very variable in its appearance, 

 some seasons being abundant, whilst in other years not a sing-le bird 

 is either seen or heard. 



Willow Warbler. This bird is abundant as a summer visitant, nesting- 

 throughout the Eden Valley. When I wiis a bo}' in Bedfordshire, this 

 bird was known to us as a 'bank-bottle,' from its dome-shaped nest 

 being so often found on the banks of hedges and ditches, 



GoLDCREST, Sedge-Warbler, Hedge-Sparrow, Dipper, Long-tailed 

 Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Blue Tit are common. 



N.UTHATCH. The late Rev. H. A. Macpherson, in the 'Victoria History,' 

 says: — 'A pair of Nuthatches were shot at Armathwaite in 1782.' I 

 know of no recent records. 



Wren, Tree Creeper, Pied Wagtail, and Grey Wagtail are common. 



Yellow Wagtail. I have only seen this bird as an occasional visitant 

 to the Eden Valley, but in the autumn of 1904 I came across a family 

 party feeding amongst some cattle in a pasture near the river-side. 



Pied Flycatcher. This very interesting- species is found as a breeding- 

 bird at Edenhall, and also in Baron Wood. I have seen occasional 

 birds at other parts of this district, but have no trace of their nesting. 



Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher, Swallow, House 

 Martin, Sand Martin, and Greenfinch are abundant. 



Hawfinch, This bird has only occurred here on one occasion. This 

 was in 1903, when a family party appeared in the gardens at Nunwick 

 Hall, living there for several weeks on the rows of peas. They 

 destroyed large quantities of this vegetable, ripping open the pods 

 with their powerful bills and extracting- the peas. At this time I also 

 had records from several of the neighbouring- villages of a 'big nebbed' 

 bird that was eating the peas. 



1905 July I, 



