14 MARCH 1947, Page 18

Rare Guests Unusual birds have conae to our gardens and

the bird-tables- that the kind Ministry of Agriculture has urged us to furnish with such foods as are permitted by the Ministry of Food. There are authentic instances of the appearance even of kingfishers (not mistaken for nut- hatches, one at some distance from any water, another on the Ukk. Both hawfinches and waxwings have been seen ; but the chief lure for both was not the bird-table but the holly bush and tree. The wail- wings seem to be very widely spread. The numbers must be large, though perhaps the mobility of the bird has given an exaggerated impression of the total numbers. Has anyone seen a willow-tit ? There seems to be a growing impression among observers, at any rate thOse of a less scientific sort, that there is "no sich person." The one bitcl urider my observation that has started nest-building during the frost is the rook. The birds have been very noisy Mark Tapleys.