NOTES ON MIGRANTS AND MOULT 37 



starting early in November. Wrynecks on both passages 

 also showed no moult, they are in fairly fresh plumage. I 

 have seen March specimens from a more southern latitude 

 moulting body plumage, whole tail, inner tertials and lesser 

 median coverts. Continental Great Spotted Woodpeckers 

 do not often offer opportunity of examination ; however, I 

 have seen autumn migrants in full juvenile plumage, and one 

 just beginning to moult and two others nearly through the 

 moult ; this species, like the Green Woodpecker, performs a 

 complete moult out of juvenile feather. 



Several Kestrels and Sparrow Hawks in the autumn 

 passage were all in full juve^nile plumage; of two Merlins one 

 was in full juvenile, the other full adult plumage — while one 

 Honey Buzzard was in juvenile dress, another in worn 

 breeding dress. 



Of Ducks and Geese I cannot say much, as it is usually 

 difficult to be sure that the birds obtained were actually on 

 migration ; however, I have seen newly arrived Bernicle 

 and Grey Lag Geese showing some moult and parts of the 

 juvenile plumage still unshed. I have an adult Scaup which 

 was certainly on migration and which was moulting the body 

 feathers ; my experience in the south of England is that 

 most diving Ducks as well as Teal and Wigeon are still, if 

 young, in their juvenile dress on first arrival. Turtle Doves 

 arrive in fresh plumage all over in spring and leave us in 

 juvenile and old breeding dress — none were in moult ; a 

 complete moult of both young and adults takes place in their 

 winter quarters. Water Rails are nearly always fully 

 moulted when emigrating, but I have seen odd juvenile 

 feathers still unshed. It is not apparently uncommon to 

 find Terns performing their somewhat leisurely autumn 

 migration and moulting at the same time ; of six Sandwich 

 Terns all are moulting into winter plumage, both adults and 

 juvenile, only the former moulting their wings and tail ; 

 one Arctic Tern had not started to lose its juvenile dress ; 

 some Common Terns would appear to leave us in this dress 

 also, others again moulting into first winter plumage before 

 leaving our shores, and some adults at least start a complete 

 moult before quitting. The first winter plumage appears to 



