Bird Life in Herts. 
(145) THE BIRD WORLD 
Bird Life in Herts. 
The following is from a paper, en¬ 
titled “ Notes on Birds Observed in 
Hertfordshire in 1906/’ which was read 
by Mr. William Bickerton at the meet¬ 
ing of the Hertfordshire Natural His¬ 
tory Society, held at Watford: 1 — 
With regard to the Fieldfares ( Turdus 
pilaris) and Redwings (T. iliacus) it is 
pleasant to note from Mr. Headley that, 
in the early months of 1906, the latter, 
contrary to the almost general experi¬ 
ence of recent years, were more 
numerous than the former. This was 
not the case in the Watford district, 
where Fieldfares always greatly out¬ 
number their smaller companions. I 
saw, and heard, a small party of Field¬ 
fares near Munden so late as April 29th 
—-the latest date I have ever met with 
this species. Coming to the close of 
the year there were about the usual 
number of these two immigrant species 
until just before and during the time 
of the great snow of December 25th and 
26th. Then they appeared in the Colne 
Valley in extraordinary numbers, and 
on the morning of December 26th I 
saw large flocks of them coming down 
the valley from N.E., and heading off 
S.W., being apparently driven onwards 
by that memorable storm. Reports 
from many parts of the country showed 
that this great south-westerly movement 
of Redwings, Fieldfares, and other 
small birds at the time of the great 
storm was one of the most extra¬ 
ordinary bird movements that has been 
witnessed within recent times in the 
British Isles. Mr. A. H. Foster, of 
Hitchin, reports an Albino Fieldfare 
shot at High Town, near Hitchin. 
Wheatear (Saxicola senanthe). 
I only saw one specimen of this bird, 
and this was near Croxley Mills, on 
April 8th. Mr. G. M. Matthews, 
F.L.S., reports a party of eight, also 
seen early in April, near Watford, and 
Mr. A. Grey reports one at St. Albans, 
on March 27th. 
Stonechat (Pratincola rubicola). 
Last year I reported that I had found 
the nest of the Stonechat near Watford, 
in 1905. I have again found what ap¬ 
pears to be the same pair of birds nest¬ 
ing again in 1906, and, strange to say, 
the 1906 nest was within two feet of the 
nesting site of 1905, although between 
the nesting time of 1905 and that of 
1906 I never saw any Stonechats in that 
particular locality. I first found my 
1906 ;aest on March 15th, when it ap¬ 
peared to be about half-built. On 
March 19th the nest was lined with 
hair, and apparently completed, though 
it contained no eggs. On the 23rd, 
there were two eggs in it, and the fol¬ 
lowing note taken from my rough note¬ 
book on this date adds a point of in¬ 
terest :—“ I might note that it has 
snowed several times to-day, and that 
a light snow was falling as I stood by 
the Stonechat’s nest and fetched out the 
eggs.” On March 26th the nest con¬ 
tained four eggs, and the bird had com¬ 
menced sitting. On April 8th the eggs 
were still unhatched, but on April nth 
the young birds were out and seemed to 
be about two days old. As incubation 
commenced on March 25th, and was 
completed probably on April 9th the 
period of incubation for the Stonechat 
seems to be about fifteen or sixteen 
days. Unfortunately, I was not able to 
again visit the nest until April 29th. 
The young birds had then left the nest, 
and were able to fly well, for I saw 
three of them about. No second brood 
was reared in that particular spot, and 
I have never seen the birds there since. 
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus rufus). 
I saw a single Chiffchaff at Cassio- 
bury on March 18th, 1906—the 
earliest date on which I have ever seen 
it. Though it was a bleak, cold day, 
the little vovageur seemed quite happy 
and contented—full of life, activity, 
and vivacity as it flitted merrily along 
the side of the stream near the foot- 
