224 Notes on the Birds of a Ballast Pit. 
reason probably being that gunners have scared them away 
temporally to other haunts. I have not often seen Wigeon on the 
Ballast Pit. On March 21st, tgo1, there were 20 pairs there, 
evidently resting on their journey to breeding haunts in the 
North. On other occasions I have noticed a pair or two of the 
species on the water between the months of October and March. 
Teal also in my experience are infrequent visitors. I saw 28 
there on November 7th, tgot, and 50 on October 27th, 1g05, and 
about 50 again on December 6th, 1907, but have seldom noticed 
them on other occasions. My acquaintance with the Shoveler in 
that locality is limited to one drake, seen there on March 17th, 
1905, and 3 ducks noticed on Deceinber 6th, 1907. 
Of the three species of Diving Ducks, which visit the water, 
the Pochard is by far the commonest. A few appear about the 
middle of August, and these are probably birds bred somewhere in 
the neighbourhood. Several pairs, to my knowledge, breed on 
the gull-ponds at Twigmoor. During November 7 or 8 pairs 
may often be seen diving for food at the Ballast Pit, and I have 
seen as many as go birds in December, while during the first three 
months of the year [ have seen this species in numbers up to 60 
or 70 birds. The following remarks which have reference to this 
species on the Ballast Pit are copied from my note books :— 
“ February 20th, 1903. Pochard, none on'the water when IJ arrived, 
but about 3-30 p.m., two parties arrived and circled about above 
the water. A party of 15 (9 old drakes), settled among the coots, 
but the other party (about to birds), circled about several times 
but could not decide on alighting, and finally flew right away. 
The flight is very swift, the wings moving very rapidly, and all 
move together with the precision of starlings. When alighting 
they dash down on to the water and cause considerable splashing. 
Soon after settling they rose once again and took a few turns 
round, and then they again settled and many prepared to sleep.” 
By the end of March the Pochards have left the Ballast Pit not to 
return until the following August. 
Tufted Ducks are frequently to be seen on the lake, but never 
in large numbers, I have never seen more than 10 together. I 
