171 



THE SNOW BUNTING (Plectrophanes nivalis) 



By the late R. Ldfthouhe. 



This liaiulsome bird, wliifh spends its smniucv in tlio Arctic 

 regions, from the middle or end of April to ^he end of Sejitemljer, 

 is a winter visitant to this country. It is of local distrihntion, 

 and is, therefore, not generally known. It is usually met with 

 near the sea shore and in the estuaries nf rivers, and Ijecoines 

 gradually scarcer as we tra\'el southwards. 



Many years ago I remember reading an exciting account of a 

 chase after one in the snow, in, if I remember rightly, one of the 

 southern counties, and which ended at last in the shooting of the 

 bird, which was considered a great prize. The name of the book 

 I do not remember. I had then myself never seen a Snow 

 Bunting in the flesh, having been brought up in an inland part 

 of Yorkshire. Shortly afterwards, hoAvever, I made acquaintance 

 with them on the East Coast, at the estuary of the Tees, where 

 they are resident during the winter months, and where in stormy 

 weather I have seen them in vast flocks streaming in from over 

 the sea, and dropping as it were out of the snow storm, which was 

 raging at the time, the air resounding with their soft call note. 

 One such day I remember in the beginning of November, at Tod 

 Point, at the Tees Estuary. Tlie birds appeared to be someAvhat 

 exhaxisted, but moving forward in great numbers they apparently 

 did not wait long to rest. 



The earliest note I have of their arrival liere is tlie 27th 

 October, and the same day I noticed two swallows. The day was 

 fine and mild. Later on in tlie same year immense nvimbers put 

 in an ajipearance. They seem to arrive in irregular scattered 

 flocks, and on striking the coast to drop from a considerable 

 height, and may sometimes be heard passing over when they 

 caimot l>e seen, or if seen only as mere specks. 



They seem to divide their attention between the tide-washed 

 flats and the adjoining arable and grass land, often in company 

 with larks and starlings. They do not, at any rate in this district, 

 go far inland. I have never seen them more than a mile or so 

 from tlie river. 



