Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/465

Rh shot from a flock of about fifteen Redpoles at Wickham Mill in March.

10th.—A Swallow seen by Mr. D'Oyly Aplin over the Sorbrook at Bodicote.

13th.—A Swallow seen at Barford.

15th.—I saw a Wren's nest built in the fork of a young tree on the bank of the Swere. As an object the nest was very conspicuous; not so as a nest. It was built of flood-rubbish, and looked exactly like a bunch of this caught and left in the fork, as a bunch often is when a flood goes down. The hole in the nest faced the stream.

With regard to the date at which the Carrion Crow breeds, the following information, acquired while destroying the nests of this (with us too numerous) bird this spring, may be of interest:—April 15th, two birds shot from the nests, one of which sat until a stone was thrown at her; apparently both were incubating. April 17th, four birds sitting on nests. April 18th, bird sat on nest, about 25 ft. up in a young willow, until I came close under it. May 7th, bird sat on nest in tall elm until thrown at. May 8th, nest containing partly fledged noisy young. May 11th, nest with squab young, the pen-feathers just sprouting.

18th.—Willow Wren, Wheatear, and Ray's Wagtail appeared.

19th.—Several Tree Pipits singing; none the day before.

20th.—I think the resident race of Goldfinches must have been nearly exterminated by the frost of the early part of 1895. I could see none about here until a week ago; now I see a fair number. When in the garden to-day I heard loud alarm cries of Starlings, and, looking up, saw eight in a confused mass high in the air. They reformed, and went on in a N.E. direction, and what I believe was a Peregrine was flying away rather heavily; but I could not tell for certain whether it was carrying anything or not. I believe that a good many of the Starlings we see here in April, and even in May, are not going to breed, here at least. Even as late as mid May one sees little parties, up to a dozen or a score in number, flying overhead rather high up. They may be birds which are going to breed in the far north.

21st.—Redstarts appeared. My wife saw half a dozen "Blackbirds, one light coloured underneath," fly out of an ivied tree at the edge of Milcomb gorse. This is about the date at which the