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Allen Silver—Bird-life in 1918



Common Sandpiper. —Teemed in enormous numbers on Conway—

thickly near mouth—and could be met with right up stream in twos

and threes.


Waterhen. —Should think it could be found on every apology for

a pond everywhere, in addition to the fact that it swarms in all suitable

haunts.


Coot. —Still sticks to old breeding areas I know, and “ moves on ”

the waterhens in this locality. A friend saw some in a new spot the

other evening.


Snipe. —Bred in all old spots T know, and near one of these

occasionally hits the telegraph wires.


Plovers. —Saw large bunches of Golden in the winter, and good

flocks of Lapwings in several counties. Home-bred birds seemed

common.


Redshank.— Hear that it still frequents meadows in Stour Valley

for breeding.


Cormorants. —Saw numbers after small Salmon, etc., on one river,

and recently observed an example plough its way up Thames between

the Tower and London Bridge.


Gulls. —Have only been to one breeding-spot, and saw six species.

During the last few days they are conspicuous over the stubbles in this

district, apparently engaged in catching winged ants, after the manner

of the Sparrow and Starling.


Common Partridge. —Have only recently been in a good district,

and find large coveys prevalent. On mentioning this to an old

inhabitant who “ kept ” in his youth, he replied, “ Well, master, what

d’ye expect ? The wuther was just right for ’em when they come off ! ”


Red-legged Partridge. —Seems about the same in East Anglia.


Pheasant. —Some good wild nests came off, but this introduced

species is dependent largely on “ Velveteens ”.


Little Grebe. —Hear of it in usual numbers, but cannot comfortably

get to a spot where I usually look for it. Have seen a few this evening.


Several large Hawks were reported in Suffolk to me, and I saw

something large the other day in Huntingdon, too far off to follow.

In a Welsh mountain district I saw on two occasions Hawk-like birds

soaring in circles at an immense height, too far off to identify by tail



