Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/472

402 woodland birds, rare or unknown in the greater part of the county.

In this paper we have dealt only with the birds observed during short visits in the spring of 1902 to the district lying south-east of a line drawn from Redwharf Bay, through Pentraeth, along the Cefni valley to Malldraeth Bay. Later we hope to treat of other portions of the island, comparing the different faunal areas.

From the shrubberies and plantations in the park at Baron Hill, behind Beaumaris, a thin belt of deciduous trees—beech, ash, oak, and sycamore—fringing the road, extends to the confines of Plas Newydd. Here a well-timbered park, half a mile to a mile in width, lies along the shores to Llanedwen, where for two miles the country is sparsely wooded as far as Llanidan. No one visiting these woods in April and May can fail to be struck, as we were, with the abundance of the Chiffchaff, which far outnumbers any other Warbler. Mingled with the rhythmic notes of this bird were the "long, tender, delicious warble" of the Willow-Wren, and the shivering trill of the Wood-Wren.

Of the Leaf-warblers, the Chiffchaff was undoubtedly the most numerous; though all were abundant, not only in the continuous woodlands between Baron Hill and Plas Newydd, but in isolated Pheasant-coverts further inland. In the woods, too, the Blackcap and Goldcrest were very common, but we only met with the Garden Warbler in one spot—near Llanfair P.G., where we watched a male singing in a thicket on several occasions. The Spotted Flycatcher was abundant, but we failed to find the Pied Flycatcher, which is so common in the Conway Valley at Bettws-y-Coed. The Redstart, in a district apparently admirably suited to its habits, was very rare; we only saw a single bird—between Garth Ferry and Beaumaris. We did not see the hen, but, as we often heard the male singing at this spot, we concluded that she was sitting.

Throughout the whole district the Wood-Pigeon was abundant, being by no means confined to the woodlands. At Plas Newydd, in mid-May, small parties of birds flew at our approach from the beeches with clattering wings. They had been gorging themselves in the tree-tops, and the ground beneath the trees