British Bird in 1939

Abstract

A NUMBER of local societies have recently issued their field records of bird-life in 1939. The London Natural History Society's Bird Report for 1939, issued separately from the London Naturalist for the fourth year, covers bird-life within twenty miles of St. Paul's Cathedral and notes more than 160 different species, including such uncommon visitors as the firecrest, great grey shrike, purple sandpiper and Iceland gull, a summary of the arrival datesof migrants for eight years and special accounts of the status of the goldfinch, stock-dove, sandpiper and redshank. The Merseyside Naturalists' Association's 1939 notes from Liverpool (Ibis, July) add the Kentish plover to the Lancashire list and the roseate tern to the Cheshire list, in addition to noting such uncommon visitors asthe red-necked grebe, black redstart, velvet scoter and a mid-winter record of the little stint, as well as extensions of the nesting range of tufted duck, pochard and herring-gull.