OTES 



RARE BIRDS IN STAFFORDSHIRE. 

 A FEW weeks ago, while staying at Stretton Hall, near Stafford, 

 I had the pleasure of examining a number of birds, aU of which 

 Avere shot in that neighbourhood b}^ Mr. Monckton. Amongst 

 them are two adult male (shot January 14th, 1908) and one 

 immature female (shot December, 1905) Smews {Mergus 

 albellus), and a hybrid cock Pheasant and Greyhen, showing 

 dominant influence of the male bird. Other birds there 

 include three Green Sandpipers [Totayius ochropus), a Goosander 

 {Mergus merganser), a White-fronted Goose {Anser albifrons), 

 shot at Stretton on January 30th, 1906, a Manx Shearwater 

 {Pufpnus anglorum), and two adult Goldeneyes [Clangula 

 glaucion), one of which was shot in December, 1905. 



Mr. Giffard, of ChilUngton, also kindly showed me his birds 

 procured there, and amongst them I found a Scops Owl {Scops 

 giu) (a new species for our Staffordshire list), an Arctic Skua 

 {Stercorarius crepidatus), two Little Auks {Mergulus alle), a 

 Turnstone {Strepsilas inter pres), Gad wall {Anas strepera), 

 Long-tailed Duck {Harelda glacialis), two Pintails {Dafila 

 acuta), an Osprey {Pandion haliaetus), a rufous or erythristic 

 Partridge, and a melanistic Lapwing {Vanellus vulgaris). 

 Unfortunately, no further data than those I have given are 

 available for any of these specimens. 



On April 8th, 1911, on Bellfields Reservoir, where the wild- 

 fowl are carefully protected by Mr. Giffard, I identified, with 

 Mr. F. A. Monckton, the following species : — Great Crested 

 Grebe, several pairs ; Mallard, Coot, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, 

 Shoveler, several pairs ; Tufted Duck, about fift}^ ; Goldeneye, 

 several pairs, and a White Wagtail {Motacilla alba)."^ Bellfields 

 Reservoir, Gailey Pools, Norton Pool, and one or two other large 

 sheets of water in that part of Staffordshire are frequented 

 by many of the rarer ducks and waders in severe winters and 

 on the spring and autumn migrations, and have added many 

 species to our hst of Staffordshire birds. A few pairs of 

 Crossbills still remain at Stretton, and three flew over the 

 house on April 9th last. John R. B. Masefield. 



* Mr. F. A. Monckton has since wT-itten to tell me that he saw two 

 White Wagtails at Bellfields Reservoir on April 21st last. 



