VOL. VI.] NOTES. 95 



RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER IN SUSSEX. 



A MALE Red-breasted Sandpiper {Macrorhamphits g. griseus) 

 was obtained at Rye on May 2nd, 1912. In the new Hand- 

 List of British Birds mention is made on p. 179 of over thirty 

 specimens obtained between August and October in various 

 years in various counties, but this appears to be the first 

 record for Sussex, and the first occurrence in spring. 



Thomas Parkin. 



LATE ARRIVAL OF COMMON TERNS AT 

 BREEDING-SITES. 



The Common Terns {Sterna hirundo) which usually arrive at 

 their nesting-ground at Ravenglass, Cumberland, during the 

 last week in April and first week in May, did not put in an 

 appearance this year in any numbers, until the first week in 

 June, and were not fully established there until the second 

 week, when they immediately began laying. 



The same thing happened on Walney Island in north 

 Lancashire, there being no apparent reason for their late arrival 

 at either site. H. W. Robinson. 



SANDWICH TERN AGAIN NESTING ON WALNEY, 

 NORTH LANCASHIRE. 



In the Hand-List of British Birds it is stated that the Sand- 

 wich Tern [Sterna s. sandvicensis) did not nest on Walney 

 Island, North Lancashire, in 1901. Whether this statement 

 also infers that it still does not nest there or not, I do not 

 know, but it certainly nested there last year and is also 

 doing so this (1912), for on my visit to the island on June 26th 

 I found a fair number, one colony numbering over thirty 

 nests, none of the eggs having then hatched. 



At Ravenglass, Cumberland, a number had hatched ofE 

 the week and fortnight previously, but both this year and 

 last they have been very erratic, many not hatching off last 

 year until well on in July. Previous to this they all hatched 

 off in June. H. W. Robinson. 



[Mr. T. Hepburn could find none in June, 1901 

 [ZooL, 1902, p. 377). No more recent information was 

 available. — Eds.] 



COMMON GULL BREEDING ON THE FARNE ISLANDS. 



In view of what was said in my Birds of Northumberland 

 and the Eastern Borders (p. 627), it may interest some of the 

 readers of British Birds to know that Mr. Paynter writes 



