WHITETHROAT.
CURRUCA CINÉREA.
Wl are informed by several writers Hint this species makes its appearance in Great Britain towards the
end of April. This is certainly correct as regards the first comers, though the greater number of our
visitors do not arrive till the tirst or second week in May, and it is probably near the end of the month
before the last stragglers have reached our shores. Having carefully taken down the dates ou which I
met with large numbers in the immediate vicinity of the south coast, it was easy to ascertain the period over
which their spring migration extended.
The Whitethront is common in most parts of England where the country is suited to its habits. I
remarked several pairs in various districts in Scotland ; but, except in certain localities, it is far less numerous
than in England, and, according to my own experience, is not observed in the northern counties.
These lively little migrants soon make their arrival known, showing themselves, singing and chattering
on the top of the hedges, shortly after they reach our shores for their summer visit. They appear happy
enough when once they have made the land; but I have noticed them very hard pressed during a fresh
north-west wind in the channel. These birds seem to fly low, possibly in order to escape the force, of the
wind; and this unfortunately leads to their being struck down by the spray when some unusually heavy
sea happens to break right in front of them. I believe the smaller birds of passage seldom attempt to
cross in the face of a gale; but that they will occasionally make a mistake in the weather there is good proof,
as I have picked up several (particularly of this species) floating dead on the water a few- miles off the south
coast. Under the date of May 17, 1B72, I And in my notes the following entry:—"Strong breeze with
drifting rain from the north-cast. Swallows were again crossing Ihe channel. There was, in fact, a
constant stream of small birds, Whitethroats and other Warblers forming the majority; I also remarked
one or two Spotted Flycatchers. Many of these travellers could barely hold their way in the face of
the frequent squalls and heavy rain ; and the greater number of those we noticed, ten or a dozen miles off
the land, must have had hard work to make the shore." On the following day (May IS) I was again
in the channel. The wind had dropped, and there was scarcely a breath of air, the sea, for several hours,
being as still as a mill-pond. I did not notice any Warblers on passage; hut several Whifethroats were
met with floating dead on the water, also one Flycatcher and two Willow-Wrens. It is probable, if any
of the small migrants had made the attempt to cross during the early morning, that the still weather had
enabled them to complete the journey at their usual hour. With the exception of the Swallow tribe, who
appear to fly with somewhat less regularity, 1 believe the most of our small summer visitors that eross
the English Channel arrive during the first three or four hours of daylight. A sodden shift of wind,
accompanied by heavy squalls of drifting rain, of course delays their pas-age and is frequently fatal to
hundreds, if not thousands.
Though I have little doubt that by far the greater number of these birds land on the smith coast of