6 
THE BIRDS OF OXFORDSHIRE. 
Jan., 1891. 
It is not improbable that as late as forty years since the 
Common Buzzard nested regularly at Stanton Harcourt. 
Recent notices of this, as well as the Rough-legged Buzzard, 
are restricted to “trappings and shootings.” In 1888 a pair 
of Honey Buzzards made an attempt to nest in Wellgrove 
Wood ; the nest, however, was plundered, and the old ones 
destroyed by keepers, an unnecessary piece of cruelty, as it is 
well known these birds during the summer and autumn feed 
chiefly on the larvae of wild bees and wasps as well as the 
insects themselves. The Marsh, Hen, and Montagu’s Harriers 
are now only rare and occasional visitors, although there can 
be no doubt that the two first were resident and nested fortv 
to fifty years ago. 
Of the owls, the Tawny or Wood Owl appears to be by far 
the most abundant; its food consisting mainly of rats, moles, 
mice, shrews, voles, insects, and small birds. Mr. Aplin 
says it is especially partial to the dor-beetle. The Long-eared 
Owl is so common a species in the eastern counties, receiving 
considerable accessions by migration in the autumn, that we 
are surprised to find it described as a scarce resident. It is 
pleasant to learn that the useful Barn Owl, notwithstanding 
constant persecution from the ignorant, is yet fairly common ; 
the author mentions the miserable fact that he has seen as 
many as fifteen in the shop of one bird-stuffer in May. No 
wonder that we hear of plagues of rats and mice in various 
parts of the country. The grey and rufous races of the Short¬ 
eared Owl have been recognised in the county, the former 
of these representing the Arctic, and the latter the more 
southern form. During the period of migration this rufous- 
tinted bird appears most to prevail in our eastern counties. 
Like the other members of its class, this also is destroyed 
wherever met with, and it cannot be too widely known that it 
feeds almost exclusively on small mammals, and occasionally 
little birds, during its stay in this country. 
The occurrence of the Grey Shrike in Oxfordshire as late as 
April 7tli is suggestive of it remaining to nest; this is, how¬ 
ever, we have observed, just the time they appear to approach 
the coast on their spring migration. It is somewhat remark¬ 
able that the race known as Pallas’s Shrike [Lanius major), in 
which there is no white on the secondaries, has so far not been 
recognised, as on the east coast during the autumn both 
forms or races appear to be equally common. The Pied 
Flycatcher is a passing visitor in the spring, on its way to its 
nesting quarters. On the east coast, at Spurn and Flam- 
borough Head, it occurs often most abundantly during the 
first week in May, in company with Redstarts. 
