Although Blackbirds and Thrushes had commenced building on Valentine's Day, we found no eggs before quite the end of March. On the 30th a Blackbird's nest in the garden contained two eggs; on the same day a Mistletoe Thrush's, two eggs; and on April 1st a Thrush's, three eggs—pale blue without spots.
The larch this year was unusually forward, being in flower on April 1st. The first Willow Wren was seen on the 2nd; the song was not heard before the 7th. On the 2nd also a Wheatear was seen—a fine old male in full plumage. Young Rooks were calling in the nest on the 3rd, and a Robin's nest contained two eggs; the eggs also of the Long-eared Owl were hatched off.
On April 12th, the average time of arrival,—wind N., very dry and cold,—two Swallows appeared; also the first Tree Pipit was seen, but its song was not heard before the 24th, twelve days later. My impression is that the males of this species, also the male Willow Wrens, precede the females by some days; we do not hear their notes, however, before their mates arrive. On the 14th I saw a second pair of Swallows, but—so cold and inclement was the weather—only a single bird between this and the end of the month. At the time the Swallows arrived there were hundreds of Fieldfares still lingering about the coast hedges.
On the 17th April, during a very heavy easterly gale, I saw the first Redstart, and for the next three or four weeks a remarkable number of these birds appeared to pass through the district—in every case females or the young of the preceding year; not a single old male did 1 see throughout the season. On the 19th the Yellow Wagtail was numerous, and I saw a single and exceedingly beautiful example of the Motacilla alba of Linnaeus. On the 23rd, after very heavy rain on the night of the 22nd (wind S.S.W.), two male Blackcaps came into the garden;[1] at the same time a fine old male Whinchat was seen. On the 22nd also, nests of the Kestrel, Carrion Crow and Lapwing contained their full complement of eggs. After this gale and rain also unusually large numbers of Wheatears appeared in the coast marshes, males and females together, but the males, without exception, were still wearing their russet-brown mantles. The Cuckoo as seen and heard on the 25th; and the 30th—wind N.E. and still excessively cold—brought the common Whitethroat.
- ↑ I suspect the Blackcap nested in this parish last summer, for on the 3rd July I saw a female bird of this species in one of the plantations.
