8 



ORNITHOLOGICAL AND OTHER NOTES, 

 By R. Lofthouse. 



May 25, Excursion from Battersby to Kildale. — The following 

 birds were noticed : — Migrants : Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Willow 

 Wren, Wood Wren, Whitethroat, Cuckoo, all in song ; Swift, 

 Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, there were numbers of 

 nests of the latter under the eaves of the railway station ; 

 Residents : Blackbird, Yellow Hammer, Chaffinch, Thrush, Wood 

 Pigeon. On a former excursion to Kildale, the beautiful, and 

 locally distributed. Pied Flycatcher was observed, and also on 

 another occasion near Ingleby. I have no doubt it breeds here. 

 Clarke and Roebuck, in their Handbook of the Vertebrate Fauna 

 of Yorkshire, mention a Heronry as existing at Eildale, I never 

 could find out when or where this Heronry was located. A Red- 

 wing, a bird seldom known to nest in the British Isles, is recorded 

 as having nested at Kildale in 1840. The animals noticed were 

 numbers of Rabbits and a Squirrel, an animal by no means common 

 in Cleveland. 



June 8 to 10, Excursion to Richmond and Neighbourhood. — 

 The following birds were noticed : — Migrants : Whitethroat, Willow 

 Wren (numerous), Chiff-chafif (nest found containing six eggs), 

 Sedge Warbler (not very numerous), Landrail. Cuckoo, House 

 Martin, Swallow, Sand Martin, Swift, very numerous, as might be 

 expected, it is an ideal place for them, we watched them soaring 

 high over the castle walls until late into the night when all 

 the other birds had long since retired to rest. Wheatears and 

 Pied Wagtails were met with on the stony gi-ound at the foot of 

 Whitcliflfe. Residents : Jay (noticed in Whitcliffe Wood), Meadow 

 Pipit, Chaffinch, Hedge Sparrow, Rook, young birds fully fledged. 



June 29, Excursion to Ayrsgarth. — The following birds were 

 observed : — Migrants : Swift, Sand Martin, Chiffchaff (nest with 

 eggs found), Yellow Wagtail, Common Sandpipers (abundant). 

 Residents : Dipper (several observed). Blackbird. In the River 

 Yore here Crayfish are common, and fine Trout and Greyling are 

 found; the Miller's Thumb {coitus (jobio) is also abundant and 

 grows to a large size. The Yore is a favourite river for otters, and 

 otter hunts often take place in the proper season. 



July 13, Excursion to Dinsdale Dam. — Dinsdale Dam appears 

 to be from 6 to 8 feet high, and must be a pretty efi'ectual barrier 

 to fish getting up the river. There is, however a fish pass at one 

 side. Small Salmon, or Salmon Trout, were trying to ascend while 



