17 



EXTRA0RD1N\RY IMMIGRATIONS OF REDWINGS 

 IN THE WEST RIDING. 



HARRY B. BOOTH, M.B.O.U. 

 Shipley. 



A YEAR ago we had more Redwing-s in this district, and passing* 

 over it, than had been noticed for several years. But this year 

 the numbers have increased to such an extent as to exceed alt 

 previous records, at least during the past twenty years to my 

 knowledge. 



The first few Redwings were seen in this district this seasorl 

 on Oct. 6th ; they had perceptibly increased by the 13th Oct., 

 were numerous by the end of that month, and abundant during 

 the first week in November. But the numbers to be seen in 

 the daytime were trifling compared with those that passed over- 

 head almost nightly after the 14th of October. From that date 

 until the i8th of Oct. their cries were heard nightly in some 

 numbers. From the i8th to the end of the month they 

 were noticed almost every night by one or another of my orni- 

 thological friends, but evidently only in small flocks, excepting- 

 on the 27th, when I listened to one continuous flock passing 

 near to my house from 11 p.m. until 11-20 p.m., and several 

 friends heard them during the same evening. It was a dark 

 fine night, with practically no wind. 



But the largest numbers evidently passed over this district 

 early in November, and particularly during the night of the 4th 

 of that month. On that evening Mr. Riley Fortune lectured 

 before the members of the Bradford Natural History and 

 Microscopical Society. After the lecture the members, going 

 out into the suburbs or surrounding country, heard the cries or 

 calls of Redwings in almost every direction. Immediately I got 

 outside Shipley railway station at 10-10 p.m. their cries above 

 were distinctly audible, and they did not cease until 10-35 P-^-i 

 when after listening in vain for a few minutes I went home. 

 Once, at about 10-30 p.m., I heard what I took to be the note 

 of the Fieldfare. Mr. N. N. Lee listened to the Redwings at 

 Heaton about the same time, and Mr. Rosse Butterfield fre- 

 quently heard their calls on his way home between Allerton and 

 Wilsden from 10 to 10-30 p.m., and he had heard them almost 

 nightly for the previous two or three weeks. Mr. T. Roose,- 

 who had to walk from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey (about six miles),: 

 continually heard flocks passing overhead all the way — frorri^ 



1908 January i. 



B 



