( 2m ) 



BIRDS AT DUxNGENESS, 1916.* 



BY 



H. G. ALEXANDER 



During 1916 I visited Dungeness end Romney Marsh 

 several times in the spring for a da> or more, and once 

 in the autumn for a week. The following observations 

 seem worthy of record: — 



On January 18th I saw an immature Iceland Gull 

 [Larus leucojjterus) on the shingle, and I understood that 

 it had been seen from time to time for some weeks. 

 This winter (1916-17) it seems that no bird of this species 

 has yet been observed (mid- January). 



On March 27th, I saw a Spotted Redshank {Tringa 

 erythropus) in Romney Marsh. Nearly a month later, 

 on April 21st, when I revisited the same place, I saw it 

 again, but (if it was the same bird) it had completely 

 changed its plumage, and had become a " Dusky "' 

 Redshank. In September I saw several of these birds. 



In view of observations made by Miss E. L. Turner 

 and myself on warblers in September it is specially 

 satisfactory to be able to compare the following notes 

 of some Phylloscopi seen by Miss Turner on May 17th. 



" About 5 p.m. on May 17th, I watched four warblers 

 in the bushes by Lloyds for an hour. They were smaller 

 than the common Willow- Wren, the underparts less 

 suffused with yellow, and the eye-stripe paler. In the 

 light of the setting sun, the breasts looked pearl grey, 

 very different from the common Willow-Wren in full 

 breeding plumage. Three of the birds were hawking 

 for flies in a spirited manner, but the fourth seemed worn 

 out, and sat on a twig on the sunny side of the bush, 

 fast asleep. The latter allowed me to approach quite 

 close. When I was about four feet away, it slipped into 

 the bush, but resumed its former perch and attitude as 



* For notes from the same localitv in 1915 see Brit. Birds, IX., 

 pp. 272-3. 



