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

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

4th June. The nest stood 20—25 centimeters high above water, directly on the outernmost reeds. 1 have observed here also, as elsewhere, that this species, deviating from palustris Bechst., builds its nest always just over the surface of the water ; building it also more carefully and more compact. 3. Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris В e с h s t.). I found a fresh clutch of 5 eggs, the 28th May. The nest was outside of the reeds, in dense nettles. I have observed also elsewhere that though it seeks the vicinity of water it will not nestle directly over it. Its nest, too, is not so carefully made, and is also built looser than that of scirpaceus Herrn. I take for granted the nidification of yet another pair. 4. Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus L.J. I have already brought up in connection with the great reed warbler that I found seven cuckoo eggs in six nésts. The eggs belong to three types, originating evidently from three females ; this is the more interesting as the great reed warbler nests with cuckoo eggs were on the same shore of the canal along a line of less then 500 meters long. Two of them were of a pale brownish color, two were bigger and pale greenish, and three were smaller than any of them with a greyish-green basic tint. The nest which contained 2 cuckoo eggs, had one of the brownish and one of the big greenish type. In my opinion, based on experience, the cuckoo egg is similar in color to the egg of the bird in whose nest the egg-laying cuckoo was raised. I observed here too, that the two. greenish eggs were very similar to the most abundant kind of great warbler eggs ; while the brownish ones were almost identical with the brown eggs of the red-backed shrike. I assume that the female of the brown eggs was raised in the nest of the red-backed shrike, very common around here

_ On the shores of the canals I have observed only one species, a Purple Heron ( Ardea p. purpurea L.), on the 16th April. There were also three species breeding directly in the forester's house, or the adjacent buildings and haystacks. 1. Tree Sparrow (Passer m. montanus L.J. I also observed the nesting of one pair in one of the strawricks. There were 4 fresh eggs in it, the 29th May. 2. Barn Swallow (Hirundo r. rustica L.J. Three pairs bred in the forester's house. Alas I could not get exact data on their arrival. 1 could not observe it myself, as I was absent in March and the first days of April. 3. Barn Owl (Tyto alba guttata В re h mj. I found 6 fresh eggs on the small attic or rather roof space above the baking oven of the house, on the 21st May. Finally, there was only one species breeding in the one larger agricultured clearing, wedged into the woods. There was a Lapwing pair here (Vanellus vanellus L.J, the 14th April, and during the following days of my observation. Though I did not find its nest, 1 am sure of its breeding. In the followings I give a quantitative analysis of the breeding species. My data are based mainly on effectively found, inhabited nests, or in a smaller percentage, on the number of observed pairs in breeding time. In the case of estimations I always took an uniformly bigger figure for the sake of conformity. The leading figure of all breeding species is the redbacked shrike (Lanius c. collurio L.J, breeding in at least 32 pairs. This is followed by the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus a. arundinaceus L.J : 20 pairs; then the chaffinch (Fringilla c. coelebs L.J and the river warbler (Locustella fluviatilis W о 1 f f

.) : 15—15 pairs ; the buzzard (

Buteo b. buteo L.J : 12 pairs ; then 10 pairs were breeding of the following species : yellowhammer (Emberiza c. citrinella L.J, blackcap (Sylvia a. atricapilla L.J, song thrush (Turdus ericetorum philomelos Brehm,), pied woodpecker (Drvobates major pinetorum В r e h m

.) ; 6 pairs of the tree pipit (Anthus t. triviális L.J ; 5 pairs of the nightingale (Luscinia luscinia L

.), and the redbreast (Erithacus r. rubecula L.J ; 4 pairs of the tree sparrow (Passer m. montanus L

.), great titmouse (Parus m. maior L

.), spotted flyclatcher (Muscicapa s. striata P a 1 I), the skylark ( Alauda a. arvensis L.J ; 3 pairs of the black crow (Corvus corone comix L.J, wren (Troglodytes t. troglodytes L.J, goshawk (Accipiter g. gentilis L.J, pheasant (Phasianus c. colchicus L.J, marsh warbler ( Acrocephalus palustris В e с h s t

.), cuckoo (Cuculus с. canorus L.J, barn swallow (Hirundo r. rustica L.) ; 2 pairs of the barred warbler (Sylvia n: nisôria В e с h s t.), tawny owl (Strix a. aluco L.J, kestrel (Falco t. tinnunculus L.J, common curlew (Numenius a. arquatus L.J ; and finally 1 pair of the greenfinch (Chloris c. chloris L.J, goldfinch (Carduelis c. carduelis- L.J, northern nuthatch (Sitta europaea caesia Wolff.), penduline titmouse (Aegithalos caudatus europaeus H e r m.j, icterine warbler (Hypolais i. Uterina Vieil \.J, long-eared owl (Asio o. otus.L.J, lesser spotted eagle (Aquila p. pomarina В r e h m .J, booted eagle (Hieraëtus p. pennatus L.J, black kite (Milvus m. migrans Bod d

.), turtledove (Streptopelia t. turtur L.J, white wagtail (Motacilla a. alba L.J, whinchat (Saxicola 174