Page:VCH Herefordshire 1.djvu/185

 BIRDS hole in an apple tree, the female lying dead beneath it. The nest contained ten blue tit's eggs and one nuthatch's egg. Some little time afterwards six more nuthatch's eggs were taken from the same hole. The nuthatches had evidently taken possession of the blue tit's hole to nest, and on the female declining to give it up had killed her. 32. Nuthatch. Sitta Coesia, Wolf. Locally, Nutjobber, Woodcracker. As may be expected from a county so well wooded this bird is generally distributed throughout the whole of it. 33. Wren. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch. Locally, Jenny Wren, Kitty Wren, Titty Wren, Cutty Wren. Common everywhere. 34. Tree Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn. Locally, Creeper, Treeclimber. A common resident. The careful observer may often notice it clinging to the tree trunk like a mouse searching for its food in the interstices of the bark. 35. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla lugubris, Temminck. Locally, Water Wagtail, White Wagtail, Black and White Wagtail, Dishwasher, Washtail, Nanny Washtail. A partial resident, some remaining in South Here- fordshire during the whole of the year. 36. White Wagtail. Motacilla alba, Linn. Occurs near Ludlow, and several nests with eggs have been found in recent years. 37. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. A common resident partially migratory. It may be readily distinguished by its yellow underparts and its unusually long tail. Some of them remain in South Herefordshire throughout the year. It has bred in the locality of Ross. 38. Blue-headed Wagtail. Motacilla Jlava, Linn. An occasional and rare visitant on migration in spring and autumn. Bull says it ' occurs every season at Belmont near Hereford,' but this I should be inclined to doubt ; yet as I have myself observed it in Breconshire, probably it may occasionally occur in this county. 39. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla raii (Bonaparte). A summer visitant arriving in April and leaving in September ; generally distributed throughout the county. 40. Tree Pipit. Anthus trivialis (Linn.) Locally, Pipit Lark, Fieldtitling, Fieldlark, Tree- lark, Grasshopper Lark. A summer migrant arriving in April and leaving in September ; common throughout the county. 41. Meadow Pipit. Anthus Pratensis (Linn.) Locally, Titlark, Pipit Lark, Meadow Titling, Moor Tit or Titling, Heather Lintie, Moss Cheeper, Ling Bird, Meadow Lark. Resident, but partially migratory. It occurs com- monly throughout the county. 42. Rock Pipit. Anthus obscurus (Latham). Locally, Dusky Lark, Fieldlark, Seatitling, Sea- lintie. Resident. Mr. W. E. de Winton in the Transactions of the Woolhope Club for 1897, p. 269, mentions that on the club visiting the highest part of the Black Mountains, this bird proved to be very plen- tiful, young in all stages being found. This is some- what singular as it usually frequents the sea shore. 43. Golden Oriole. Oriolus galbula, Linn. This beautiful summer migrant has paid several visits to Herefordshire. The specimens in the Here- ford Museum were obtained from Weston-under-Pen- yard and the Chase, Ross. It has also been observed at Stretton Sugwas, at Hay Park, Ludlow (Shrops.), in 1883, and a pair visited Wormington-on- Wye in 1884. Unfortunately the bright yellow of the male draws general attention, and the gun prevents the breeding which would otherwise take place. 44. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor, Linn. Locally, Great Butcherbird, Ash-coloured Shrike, Cinereous Shrike, Grey Shrike. A winter visitant of which three occurrences in the county have been recorded. It has also occurred in the neighbourhood of the Black Mountains, and in Breconshire on the Herefordshire borders. It has been observed in the county by Mr. T. Hutchin- son. 45. Redbacked Shrike. Lanius collurio, Linn. Locally, Lesser Butcher Bird, Flusher, Murdering Pie, Jack Baker. A summer migrant from May to August ; generally distributed throughout the county. 46. Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus, Linn. Locally, Bohemian Waxwing, Chatterer, Waxen Chatterer. This beautiful bird has only been recorded in the county once ; this specimen is reported to have been seen in the flesh at Baker's, a bird stufFer in Hereford in 1856, and is believed to be the one specimen at present in the Hereford Museum. 47. Spotted Flycatcher. Muscicapa grisola, Linn. Locally, Beambird, Beebird, Rafterbird, Post- bird, Wallbird, Cherrychopper, Cherry- sucker, Cobweb Bird. A summer migrant usually coming early in May and leaving in September ; it is abundant in the county. A small albino of this species was presented to the Here- ford Museum in 1 892 by the Rev. Baskerville Mynors. 48. Pied Flycatcher. Muscicapa atricapilla, Linn. Locally, Coldfinch. This migrant, which arrives at the end of April and leaves in the autumn, is curiously enough uncommon in Herefordshire. A pair were shot at Sufton in 1889 and seen a; Aymestrey. It occurs and breeds at Stoke Edith Park, at Downton, and Eywood, and at Croft ; it also breeds in the north-west of the county. Mr. Warde Fowler considers that it may occur oftener in the county than is generally supposed. It has also occurred at Aylstone Hill, Hereford. (Hutchinson.) 133