NOTES 69 



Occurrence of the Red-necked Grebe in Moray Area. 



On one of the northern firths on 30th November 1916, I observed 

 two Grebes which I satisfactorily identified as Colymbus g. griseigena. 

 When first seen, the Grebes were cruising along a little way off 

 the shore, the light was excellent, and with the aid of a telescope, 

 it was possible even to distinguish the colour of the iris, while 

 the sooty or dusky brown ear-coverts, sides of the face and loral 

 region, were plainly made out. In winter plumage, when seen 

 at a little distance, the Red-necked and Great Crested Grebes 

 are much alike, but in the Great Crested Grebe, the loral region, 

 the more or less well-defined eyestripe, and the sides of the face 

 are white. 



Apparently the Red-necked Grebe has not yet been recorded 

 for Moray area, and, unfortunately, I was not able to obtain a 

 specimen, as the Grebes were shy and kept well out of range of 

 a shot gun. Annie C. Jackson, Swordale. 



Red-necked Grebe in Largo Bay. On 28th September 

 19 16 we picked up a Red-necked Grebe {Colymbus griseigena 

 griseigena) lying dead on the shore in Largo Bay. It proved 

 to be a female; it was in moult, but still retained most of its 

 summer plumage. Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul and Evelyn V. 

 Baxter, Largo. 



Persecution of Rooks by Carrion Crows at Beith. I 



sent some notes to the Report on Scottish Ornithology for 19 13 

 on the Rooks deserting the rookery at the Manse, Beith, owing 

 to a Carrion Crow visiting the rookery. Last year I had further 

 evidence of their fear of the persecution of the Carrion Crow. 

 When the Rooks began to repair their old nests at Speirs School 

 in the spring of 19 16, one of these birds dashed at them and 

 scattered them, with the result that they deserted the rookery. 

 They were also driven from the rookery at Morishill, and on 

 climbing up to four of the nests there, it was discovered that 

 all the eggs in three of the nests had been eaten, and nothing 

 left but small pieces of shell ; the other nest had four eggs, two 

 were sucked, one had a hole in it, and one was untouched. 

 Although the Rooks at the Manse were dangerously near the 

 war zone, being only about two hundred and fifty yards away, 

 they successfully reared their single brood. It appears only to 

 be the smaller rookeries which are attacked by Carrion Crows. 

 John Craig, Beith. 



