Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 2. (Budapest 1952)

Horváth, L.: Ornithologic observations in the alder woods of the Hanság

their feeding the neighbouring, though otherwise-characterized, parts. The breeding species of the wood can be separated sharply from the other breeding species of the nearest neighbourhood, and of other dissimilar wedged-in parts. The birds, however, get their food for themselves and their young in the wider country and the wedged-in parts, wherefore they live in the margins of the thickets, the meadows, and the woods along the canals. Of the 31 breeding species only two (the lesser spotted eagle and the goshawk) went deeper into the woods, and a small percentage of the breeding common buzzard. So some 28—29 species nest in the edges of the woods. My observations indicate that the canals running through the woods are attached parts of the meadows rather than of the forest, in spite of the fact that on both their sides the woods are uninterrupted. It is of course possible that my observations here are the results of mere chance, and so above deduction is false. Until, however, I do not undertake similar observations in other territories, I find it necessary to mention this fact. The marsh warbler, and especially the great reed warbler nested in the meadows and alongside the canals in great numbers, so it is the more curious that I have not found a single breeding pair in the swampy and reedy clearings of the woods; indeed, I was unable to observe even the birds themselves ; so, for instance, on the Rókató, which is at least 100x200 meters large and a great part of it is overgrown by dense reeds. On the forest lake — as also on the other smaller reedy pools in the woods — I never succeeded even by the most thorough investigation to find a single nest. Neither does the fact that these waters originate from the temporary flooding of the forest explain these phenomena, as there was water in it in the spring of 1949, (even in June), though "this year was very dry. I will now list ecologic, nidobiologic, eventually phenologic data regarding the observed bird species, taking first of all the breeding species as characteristic of the various biotops. The main woody parts will be dealt with as separated from the neighbouring meadows and the other smaller wedged-in biotops. The species are relegated in their systematic order for sake of better survey. Finally I will introduce my deductions based on the facts as put forth below, together with quantitative results of the population. The first unit of the Alder Woods is the fotest itself. I must mention in advance that of the 31 species belonging here 2 breed in the meadows and 1 around the house, but these did not come from the wood but rather went to it from here ; as neither the black crow nor the barred warbler and the tree sparrow are typical sylvicol species. In the fallowings I introduce the 31 species breeding in the wood. I will lay special stress on nidobiologic data in the case of rarer species. 1. Black Crow. (Corvus corone comix L.) I found two inhabited nests in the margin of the wood towards the Miklós-major, 14th April. One of them was on the outernmost tree, the other one a few meters deeper in the wood. On the 9th May there were two young birds already well feathered out in a nest on a low willow tree of the Királyrét. I have already observed that if there is a bordering wood to the meadow, the black crow will readily nest in its edge but will not go deeper in. Assuredly the higher trees affording greater security drew them to the wood' s margin. 2. Greenfinch. (Chloris c. chloris^L.) I found it nesting on the southwestern margin of the wood, the 21st May. Its clutch were 5 fresh eggs. The nest stood 3 meters high. 3. Goldfinch. (Carduelis c. carduelis L.J I found its nest near the greenfinch nest, 2 meters high. There were 5 strongly incubated eggs in it. 4. Chaffinch. (Fringilla c. coelebs L.J I found it nesting four times. On the southern edge of the wood in the margin of a clearing, 4 meters.high up an alder tree, 28th May ; and on the edge towards the Királyrét, on a poplar cca 1 meter high. The females were sitting on the eggs, but I did not examine the clutch. On May 28th I found two other nests on the two sides of the 170