Within the last ten or twelve years a very great variety of birds have been recorded either as nesting there or as visitors. The following list (taken from "Birds in London" by W. H. Hudson, 1898) may interest bird lovers:-
Wryneck, cuckoo, blackcap, grasshopper, sedge, reed and garden warblers, both white-throats, wood and willow wrens, chiff-chaff, redstart, stonechat, pied wagtail, tree pipit, red-backed shrike, spotted flycatcher, swallow, house martin, swift, goldfinch, wheatears in passage, fieldfare in winter, occasionally redwings, also redpoles, siskin, and grey wagtail.
This list is certainly a revelation to those who only associate dusty sparrows and greedy wood-pigeons with the ornithology of London. No better testimony is wanted to prove that Hampstead is still the beautiful wild Heath that has given pleasure to so many generations.
