62 



Bird Notes and News 



perhaps as shorter or less accurate than those 

 on the easily- watched Thrush or Robin. Fewer 

 marks are, however, awarded the latter. The 

 Birds described include Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 

 Jay, Cuckoo, Wild Duck, Little Grebe, Swan, 

 Heron, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, 

 Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Flycatcher, Tree 

 Sparrow, Hawfinch, Redpoll, Redbacked Shrike, 

 Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Wagtails (Pied, Grey, 

 and Yellow), Longtailed Tit, Goldcrest, White- 

 throat, Willow- Warbler, Blackcap, Barn Owl, 

 Brown Owl, and Little Owl. 



The Judges for the whole Competition were : 

 Mr. Montagu Sharpe, K.C., Mr. H. G. Alexander, 

 Miss Clifton, Mrs. Frederick Dawson, Mr. G. A. 

 Freeman, B.Sc, Mr. W. H. Hudson, Mr. 

 J. R. B. Masefield, Miss Pollock, Rev. W. A. 

 Shaw, Rev, J. G. Tuck, and Miss Gardiner 

 (Secretary) 



INTER-COUNTY SHIELD 



The Shield-winning Teams from all the com- 

 peting counties are eligible for this highest 

 award. It goes to Newburgh C.E. School, 

 Lancashire, whose Team is foremost in observa- 

 tion and enthusiasm. The second place is 

 taken by Postwick School, Norfolk. 



" TAILBY " OWL PRIZES 



There are an unusually large number of 

 essays on Owls this year, and, generally 

 speaking, they show genuine interest and 

 personal observation. The First Prize is 

 awarded to Edward Barton (Newburgh) for 

 a paper on the Tawny Owl, which is an excellent 

 piece of first-hand work for a boy of 12. A 

 bright and lively essay by Phyllis Blyth 

 (Blickling, Norfolk) wins the Second Prize ; 

 and special commendation is gained by Ivy 

 Keen (Coleshill, Bucks), William Singleton 

 (Chillington, Somerset), Leonard Webb (Cud- 

 dington, Bucks), Edith Lloyd (Great Alne, 

 Warwick), Archibald Walker (Postwick, Nor- 

 folk), and Daisy Moore (Mattishall, Norfolk). 



COUNTY SHIELDS 



BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 



Challenge Shield : Coleshill C.E. 



Bucks needs rousing up to more extended 

 competition. The present entry can hardly be 

 satisfying to schools that do good work. 

 Personal observation and a pleasant style of 

 writing distinguish the papers in general, and 

 the Shield is won by good studies of uncommon 

 Birds from Coleshill. Certificates go to Elles- 



borough, whose attractive essays are marred 

 only by limitation to nesting-time ; to 

 Cuddington, Haversham, and Pitstone, and 

 the highly commended to Sherington. 



CUMBERLAND 



Challenge Shield : Seaton Camerton 



The Cumberland Shield, held for the last two 

 years by St. John's Girls, Kesmck, changes 

 hands, being won by the observation displayed 

 in careful and excellent papers from Seaton 

 Camerton. The Keswick Girls, however, study 

 nature well and write in charmingly bright and 

 animated style, having also three Teams at 

 work. Nether Denton also gains a Certificate 

 by pleasant and intimate accounts of Birds 

 and Trees ; Buttermere shows good outdoor 

 watching, too much concentrated on nests ; 

 and another small school. Cargo, does itself 

 great credit. Choice of subjects is, as usual, 

 good and varied. 



HAMPSHIRE 



Challenge Shield : Boscombe Girls' School 



In Hampshire, where competition is still 

 below pre-war mark, the admirable and 

 sympathetic essays from the Boscombe Girls 

 take first place (the mantle of St. Peter's Girls' 

 School having apparently fallen on them). 

 The Holme School, Headley, is again second 

 with papers unusually and refreshingly per- 

 meated by a sense of the beautiful. The 

 " Excellent " award goes to Barton Stacey and 

 Ridge, both old friends with their names on the 

 Shield ; to St. Joseph's R.C., Christchurch, 

 whose work is particularly interesting ; and 

 to two exceptionally promising Teams, Durley 

 (first year) and Headbourne Worthy, whose 

 intelligent, first-hand, and thoroughly natural 

 observations are of the character most desired. 

 Other schools obtaining mention are Hinton 

 Ampner, Brooke (I.W.), St. John's Girls, 

 Boscombe, and Wickham. 



LANCASHIRE 



Challenge Shield : Newburgh C.E. 



In spite of all the exceedingly good work 

 received from Lancashire, Newburgh still takes 

 pride of place. So far no school has been able to 

 improve upon its conscientious and thoroughly 

 excellent work. Having proved this, the 

 School will now have to stand out of the County 

 Competition for a couple of years, as Champion, 

 in order to give others a chance. Bolton-le- 

 Sands R.C. (whose fresh and charmingly 

 written essays take Second Prize), Whitechapel 



