Wild Spain Part 36

Spanish: _Melon_.

Common in the southern provinces, and as far north as the Sierra de Gredos (Old Castile). Ichneumons feed largely on snakes and other reptiles. They seldom offer a shot in the open, clinging tenaciously to the thickest covert, and are more often taken alive--either dug out of their burrows or caught by the dogs--than shot.

Among minor quadrupeds may be mentioned the hedgehog (_Erizo_), the mole (_Topo_), the shrew (_Musarana_), squirrel (_Ardilla_), water-rat (_Rata de agua_), with the usual family-group of rats and mice. One particularly interesting species, the trumpeter water-shrew (_Mygale pyrenaica_), is found in the rivers of Guipuzcoa, Navarre, and, _fide_ our friend Manuel de la Torre, in the Rio de Piedra, Provincia de Zaragoza.

The dormouse (_Liron_), and fat dormouse (_Liron campestre_), are both common in Andalucia.

The Spanish hare (_Lepus mediterraneus_), and rabbit require no further remark.

PART II.

SPRING-MIGRANTS TO SPAIN.

WITH DATES OF ARRIVAL, ETC., IN ANDALUCIA.

In the following list we endeavour to indicate the closest possible point of time for the arrival, nesting, and departure of spring-migrants to Spain, the dates especially referring to Andalucia. But since the pa.s.sage of almost each species, though in many cases punctual to a day or two in commencing, continues during three or four weeks--and in some instances over much longer periods--it is only possible to approximate.

Thus there is a distinct arrival of Swallows in February (early in March many already have eggs), yet the "through-transit" of vast bodies--destined perhaps to populate Lapland and Siberia--is conspicuous throughout April, and even into May.

In compiling these lists the recorded observations of other naturalists have been freely utilized, especially the papers of Lord Lilford and Mr.

Howard Saunders in the _Ibis_, and Col. Irby's "Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar." In ornithological matters the writer has a weakness for _dates_,[79] and the last-mentioned work fairly bristles with these valuable facts. For five springs its author maintained a careful watch on the Straits, and during those years hardly a movement of feathered fowl betwixt the Pillars of Hercules could escape his vigilance.

LIST OF SPRING-MIGRANTS.

---------------+--------------+-----------+--------------+------------------ Arrives. Nests. Departs. Remarks.

---------------+--------------+-----------+--------------+------------------ Egyptian Vulture End Feb.-Mar. April 1-10 Sept. Montagu's Harrier End Mar. May 1-10 Sept. Booted Eagle Mar. 25 April 10 Sept. } A few winter Serpent Eagle Mar. 8 April 15 Oct. } near Malaga.

Black Kite Mar. 10 April 30 Sept.-Oct. Honey Buzzard End April-May None breed Sept. 17, '92 In transit only.

Hobby April Sept. do.

Lesser Kestrel End Feb.-Mar. April 25 Sept.-Oct. Some winter.

Scop's Owl Mid-Mar. May 10 Sept.-Oct. do.

R. N. Nightjar May 1 May 25 Sept.-Oct. Swift Mar.-April May Sept.-Oct. Pallid Swift End Mar.-April do. Alpine Swift Mar. 25-Apl. do. Aug.-Sept. Roller End Mar.-April April 15 Sept. Bee-Eater End Mar.-April May 15 July-Aug. Hoopoe End Feb.-April May 1 Aug.-Oct. Cuckoo Mar. 25-April April 23 July-Aug. Spotted Cuckoo Feb. 28-Mar. April 15 July-Aug. Wryneck March Sept. Breeds in Castile.

Ring-Ouzel{%} Few Mar.-April breed{%} Autumn Transit.{%} Rock-Thrush End Mar.- May 26 Sept., '68 Apl.--early (Arragon) (Irby) Wheatear Mar. 1-April None breed Oct.-Nov. In transit.

Eared Wheatear Mar. 30-April May 10, '71 Autumn Russet Wheatear Mar. 30-April May 12, '71 do. Whinchat April 10, '83 None breed Sept. Transit only.

Nightingale April 8-15 May 7, '83 Aug.-Sept Redstart{%} Mar. 25-April None breed Sept.-Oct. Transit.

Garden Warbler Mid-April May 10 Oct. Orphean Warbler Mid-April May 15 Sept. Whitethroat April 10-20 May 12 Sept.-Oct. Spectacled Warbler Mar. 10 (Irby) Sub-alpine Warbler March (end) May (early) Oct. Bonelli's Warbler April-early Sept. Wood-Wren April 25 May 25 Oct. Scarce.

Willow-Wren March April 10 Many resident.

Chiffchaff April 20 do.

Yellow Willow-Wren April (end) May 20 Aug.-Sept. W. Pallid do. May 1 June 10 Aug.-Sept. Rufous Warbler May 1 May 28 Sept. Savi's Warbler. March (?) May 4 Aug. (Irby) Rare and local.

Great Sedge Warbler April May 28 Reed-Warbler End March May 5 Pied None Flycatcher{%%} April 8-30 breed[A] Oct. 1-17 Spotted do. May 10 May 25 Aug.-Sept. In transit.

Swallow Mid-Feb. to May Mar.-April Sept.-Oct. A few in winter.

Martin February Sept.-Oct. Sand-Martin Feb.-Mar. May (H. S.) Oct. A few all winter.

Crag-Martin Feb.-Mar. April-May Oct.-Nov. Many in winter.

Woodchat Mar.-April May 10 Sept.-Oct. G. H. Wagtail. Feb.-Mar. April 25 Aug.-Sept. Tree Pipit Mar.-April None breed Oct.-Nov. In transit.

Tawny Pipit April Aug. Some breed, H. S.

Short-toed Lark Mid-March April 20 Aug.-Sept. _C. Batica_{%%} ? May 9 ? (Unknown).

Cirl-Bunting Mar. April 12 Oct.-Nov. Many resident.

Ortolan April May 5 Sept. Serin February May 10 Oct.-Nov. Golden Oriole April 15-20 May 20 Aug.-Sept. Spotless Starling March April 23 Sept. Turtle-Dove April-end Sept. (end) May May Oct. Quail Mar.-April May Sept. 15-30 Landrail Feb.-Mar. None breed Oct. Many winter.

Purple Gallinule February April 25 Oct. Many resident.

Stone-Curlew Mar.-April April 20 Oct.-Nov. Many resident.

Pratincole April 8-20 May 12 Sept. Grey Plover May None breed Nov. On pa.s.sage only.

Kentish Plover. March April 15 Many winter.

Lesser Ring Plover Mid-March May 10 Common None Sandpiper{%%%} April 15 breed{%%%} Aug.-Sept. Curlew Sandpiper{$} May None breed Transit.

Knot May 1-10 do. do.

Wood-Sandpiper April-May do. do.

Greenshank April-May do. Sept.-Oct. A few winter.

Black-tailed G.o.dwit Feb.-Mar. do. Bar-tailed do. May do. Sept. Ruff April-May do. Aug.-Sept. Many winter.

Great Snipe April-May do. Sept.-Oct. Whimbrel May do. Sept.-Oct. Slender-billed Curlew Spring do. Autumn A few winter.

Purple Heron March 20 April 10 Sept. Little Egret April-early June 8 Oct.-Nov. Buff-backed Heron Mar.-April do. Squacco do. April 20 do. Little Bittern April-end do. Sept. Night Heron April-end May 20 Glossy Ibis April 20 May 28 Spoonbill April 10 May (early) Observed in (Irby) winter.

Crane Feb.-Mar. April 25 Oct. Many winter.

Demoiselle Crane Mar.-April Aug. Stork Jan.-Feb. March (end) Sept. Many winter.

Black Stork Feb. to May May Nov. Marbled Duck. April May (end) Sept. Garganey Feb.-Mar. do. Sept. Very irregular.

Nyroca Pochard Feb.-Mar. May 20 Oct.-Nov. White-faced Duck Mar.-April. May 20 Oct.-Nov. Gull-billed Tern April 8 May 25 Lesser Tern April 13 May 25 Oct. 25 (Irby) Whiskered Tern April 10 May 20 Aug. (Favier) Black Tern May 1 May 30 Sept.-Oct. (Favier) ---------------+--------------+-----------+--------------+------------------

{%} Some Ring-Ouzels nest in Sierra Nevada--eggs received from Colmenar by H. S.--possibly also some Redstarts.

{%%} Pied Flycatcher believed to breed in Castile (H. S.). _C. Batica_ is perhaps resident.

{%%%} The Sandpiper breeds in Castile and in Portugal, and a few pairs may possibly do so in Andalucia. The main transit occurs about April 15, coinciding with their arrival on the North British moorlands.

{$} Many other congeneric species of the Plover and Sandpiper cla.s.s, such as Sanderling, Little and Temminck's Stints, Purple Sandpiper, &c., might also be included, pa.s.sing north through Andalucia in millions at the same period; but many individuals also spend the autumn and winter there.

PART III.

SPRING-NOTES IN NAVARRE.

BY ALFRED CRAWHALL CHAPMAN.

The breeding-season in Navarre, owing probably to the high mean alt.i.tude of that province, appears to be relatively later than in other districts of similar lat.i.tude. In mid-April (1891) at St. Jean de Luz and Irun, we luxuriated in warm suns.h.i.+ne and the shade of leafy trees; but at Alsasua, on the afternoon of the 15th, we found ourselves transported to a region as cold and bleak as Northumbria, while at Pamplona, though the sun shone gratefully, his warmth was marred by a biting wind.

A parched-looking, sterile country separates the capital of Navarre from Burguete, a small village on the Spanish slope of the Pyrenees just under the Roncesvalles Pa.s.s, whither we were bound. Outside Pamplona, a single polyglot, or icterine warbler was observed, together with the following other species:--redstarts, tree-pipits, woodchats, ortolans, goldfinch, linnets, yellow-hammers, and chaffinches; and on the road to Burguete were added:--griffon vultures--doubtless from Yrurzun--Bonelli's eagle, red kites, one marsh-harrier, hoopoes, black redstarts, white wagtails, bluethroat (white-spotted form), robin, willow-wren, swallow, ring-ouzel, stonechat, wheatear, calandra lark, buzzard, kestrel, and grey partridge.

At Burguete, between April 17th and 21st, of raptores observed, with the exception of occasional kites, the buzzard was the commonest hawk, and already had eggs. Tawny owls had feathered young, but, beyond house-martins breeding in the crags, no other species appeared to have commenced to nest. In the beech woods around Burguete six species of t.i.ts were common, viz., the oxeye, blue, cole, marsh, long-tailed and crested. The last-named has a pretty rippling note, quite unique in its way. Nuthatches were numerous and clamorous, and green woodp.e.c.k.e.rs (?

sp.) were noted. Amongst the box-scrub, fire-crests were common, with dippers and sandpipers on the streams; while, scattered about in the woods and hills, we came across wryneck, wren, white and yellow wagtails, pied and spotted flycatchers, turtle-and stock-doves, serin, gold-and bull-finches and carrion-crow. Above the Roncesvalles convent on April 20th, in a grey mist and drizzling rain, numbers of golden orioles, tree-pipits, skylarks, swallows, stock-doves and other common birds were picking their way northwards on migration; and a single spectacled warbler was obtained. This species has very active, sprightly movements, and a robin-like gait when hopping on the ground.

On April 21st we journeyed, _via_ Orbaiceta, to a forest-guard's house in the great Iraty forest, observing _en route_ grey wagtails and choughs, Egyptian vultures and ravens, the latter nesting. The change from the beech woods of Burguete to the endless spruce-fir forests of Iraty proved disappointing. Doubtless _Picus martius_ breeds here, for we saw woodp.e.c.k.e.rs' holes which, from their size, could belong to no other species; but not a sight either of this bird or of the nutcracker rewarded our careful search. Bonelli's warbler, with its rather shrill, monosyllabic note, abounded wherever the nature of the ground suited its habits, but had not yet paired; nor could we ascertain that any other species were yet breeding. The hedge-sparrow here was of a noticeably paler cast of plumage than at home--perhaps explained by the alt.i.tude; while at Burguete, the chaffinches were visibly brighter in colour, and we also detected a striking difference in the song of yellow-hammer and some other species, as compared with English birds--possibly the mysterious beginnings of evolution. On the way back to Burguete, a sedge-warbler and a lovely specimen of the wall-creeper--the only one we saw--were obtained.

During our six days' absence, a considerable influx of migrants had occurred at Burguete, as evidenced by increased numbers of pied flycatchers (mostly males), woodchats and black redstarts. Blue-headed wagtails (_M. neglecta_) were running on the gra.s.s about the horses'

feet, and, though the bird has been given specific rank, reminded me strongly of _M. cinereocapilla_, which I knew well in Lapland in 1884.

During a two hours' ramble before breakfast on April 25th, just before leaving for home, the following were observed:--sparrow-hawk, a pair of snipe, magpies and jays, one heron, a pale blue harrier and a golden eagle.