Notes on the Birds of a Ballast Pit. 423 
opportunity or encouragement are offered them. I propose 
therefore to write a short sketch of the more interesting birds of 
this locality, entirely from my own observations, in order that the 
city members of the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union may see that 
they need not go far afield in order to find material for the study 
of wild birds. 
I have made notes on the birds which inhabit this sheet of 
water, during the past eight years, but my visits during the past 
‘three years have been very few and far between, so these notes must 
be taken to refer chiefly to the years 1g901—1905. 
Taking the Duck Tribe first, I have noticed the following 
species upon the water, none of which however, as far as I know, 
‘remain to nest there :—Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard 
Tufted Duck and Golden Eye. All these species use the open 
water chiefly asa place of refuge during the day, though probably 
the three last named, belonging as they do to the class of diving 
ducks, may spend more time on the water, diving for their food, 
than the other species which seem to disperse over the surrounding 
country during the night to feed. 
A few pairs of Mallard, may be seen on the water early in 
April, but all seem to disappear during the breeding season, 
though doubtless many of them have their nests and young at 
no great distance. In August and September numbers may often 
_ be seen on the water, the drakes at first being in the “eclipse” 
_ stage, but as time goes on they gradually don their full plumage, 
_ which most have acquired by the beginning of October. The 
number of the birds varies greatly according to the weather, and 
also the attentions of wild-fowlers, but I have frequently seen 
more than too birds of this species on the water, and on several 
occasions even greaternumbers. For example on November atst, 
1900, I noticed 300; on August 21st, 1g01, there were over 300, the 
drakes in “eclipse” plumage; on September 5th, rgo1, there 
were over 400, and on October 27th, 1905, there were over 200, 
the drakes on this last occasion being in full plumage. It is 
however quite possible to visit the lake during the Autumn and 
‘Winter and to see scarcely a bird of this species on the water, the 
. 
