362
BIRD REPORT
Bearded Tit.—Düring the last week in October Bearded Tits had been showing signs of restlessness and on the 30th a considerabe movement appeared to take place. A party of eighteen rose to some considerable height and disappeared to the north ; shortly afterwards sixteen flew in a like manner out of sight to the soiith. Apart from these two flocks, small parties were getting up at four or five minute intervals from 0800 to 0930 hours—one of nine, one of seven, and several of five or six birds. These smaller parties rose to a fair height, circled round, and several were seen to land again, so that it was difficult to estimate the number of birds involved. However, it seems certain that at least fifty were present, a much larger number than had been recorded since the flood of 1953. While there is no certainty that any of the birds moved very far, they did appear to be showing the signs of restlessness which are usual before migration. Blackbird.—Some passage occurred on the 18th, when more than twenty were present but few were caught, and again on the 22nd and 23rd. On the 27th, one was trapped and found to have a long, four stranded, horse hair snare wound tightly round one thigh. Blackbirds are commonly taken in Norway with this type of snare, which seems to indicate the country of origin of this bird. Robin.—Passage occurred on the 22nd and 23 rd, when fifteen were trapped, all of which were thought to be of the Continental race. They were extremely skulking and little was seen of them until they were actually in the trap, although the resident Robins were well aware of their presence and kept up an incessant " ticking " at the violation of their territory. In fact, on the 22nd, the " owner " of the little hill " ticked " all day long and it seemed very doubtful if it had much time to feed ; an attempt was made to catch this bird, already ringed, to make colour comparisons, but it was far too concerned with the intruders of its own species to allow itself to be driven into the trap, simply diving into thick cover from where it continued to call, and resuming its post on the tallest bush on the hill as soon as the human danger was past. Düring the afternoon of the 23rd, one was heard " ticking " from the centre of a neighbouring reed-bed, a curious territory for a Robin, but perhaps by this time the strain on the residents was becoming rather heavy ! Meadow Pipit.—A heavy passage of this species coincided with that of the Reed Bunting referred to later, but very few were caught. Greenfinch.—Nineteen were caught on the Ist and forty-eight on the 2nd, but there is no indication whether these were passage or local birds. They were attracted by baiting the trap with the seeds of Sea-rocket.