Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/37

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ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE.
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13th.—A Swallow seen at Bloxham Grove.

15th.—A good many Willow Wrens.

18th.—Swallows pretty common about the village. Cuckoo noisy. Mr. H.G. Thomson watched, through glasses, two immature Golden Eyes in the middle of a large field on Otmoor, and within a hundred yards of him. Stormy weather had then recently prevailed (in litt.).

20th.—The same observer saw two Spotted Woodpeckers at Woodperry; he has also seen this bird in the garden there (in litt.).

24th.—Otter hunting in the Cherwell Valley (when we killed a bitch of 17 lb.), and saw Lesser and Common Whitethroats, Sand Martin, and Tree Pipit.

25th.—Ray's Wagtail and House Martin.

27th.—Whinchat.

May 2nd.—Garden Warbler.

4th.—Sedge Warbler.

7th.—Swift and Spotted Flycatcher.

9th.—Turtle Dove.

17th.—Carrion Crow's nest with four young with feathers just showing.

June 4th.—Heard Corncrake; getting scarce in recent years.

8th.—Pair of Red-backed Shrikes established at Wickham.

18th.—A young Cuckoo in Redstart's nest in a hole under the thatch coping of garden wall. Being now too large for the hole, its tail sticking out attracts attention.

15th.—News from Mr. Calvert that he had up to May 10th seen twenty-seven new nests of the Hawfinch in Wychwood Forest, but all empty—the work of the Cuckoo, aided by Rooks and Jackdaws.

16th.—The above Cuckoo flown.

26th.—The Red-backed Shrikes at Wickham have a nest in a hazel bush in the roadside hedge, and young flown.

28th.—Cuckoo in the fields at the back of the house still sings the full song.

July 3rd.—Blackcap, which became quiet about the end of May, sings again now. Garden Warbler sings.

6th.—Flycatchers with brancher young, and very noisy.

10th.—A young Cuckoo in Robin's nest in hole under the