BIRD-LIFE NEAR GILWELL PARK, SEWARDSTONE. 79
June 26th, the group of oaks at the bottom of Bury Wood
was surrounded by a shimmer of pale green, owing to the
emergence of innumerable pea moths from their chrysalids.
These are the insects which, in the caterpillar stage, devastate
the Forest trees in spring. Apparently the moth itself is
relished by birds, for during the week mentioned, I had
certainly never before seen so many birds (including species and
individuals) within a radius of about 50 yards. They included
a family of nightingales, several families of great tits, at least
two of long-tailed tits, one of Whitethroats, and two young
great spotted woodpeckers. By the end of a week all the
pea moths had vanished and so had the influx of birds. But
throughout July and August daily visits were paid to my apple-
trees by families of young birds, such as blue tits, gold crests
and willow warblers. I have come to the conclusion that small
birds have never during the past ten years been more abundant
in this part of Epping Forest than they are in 1930. This
remark applies also to that larger Forest bird, the Jay. On
October 10th we saw eleven jays together in Gilwell Park and
I counted over forty between the Jubilee Retreat and High Beach
Church.
I will conclude these field notes with observations made from
my home on two Forest birds.
Blackcap. In May, 1920, I was constantly attracted by
a song which I could not identify, coming from the hedge
opposite the cottage. In tone it was like that of a blackcap,
but it lacked the richness of the notes of that bird. With some
difficulty I stalked the singer and saw the hen blackcap giving
utterance to the song. 1 have not heard the female blackcap
sing since then, nor have I ever seen any record of its power of
song. The rusty brown head of the bird showed its sex clearly,
for though young blackcaps have brown heads, there could
scarcely have been young birds in song in May.
Garden Warbler. This warbler regularly nests in my
garden and is often to be seen exploring the apple trees for
insects after the nesting season. This year, on September 3rd,
it was still singing, after which date we did not hear it till
October 10th, when to my great surprise it sang continuously
in the garden and again on the next day. I have never before
heard the song of the garden warbler so late in the year.