SCOLOPA CIDJE—SNIPES. 



241 



GREY PHALAROPES suvimcr and winter., %. 



Grey Phalarope : Phalaropus fiilicarius. 



An uncommon and irregular visitor when on migration in late 

 autumn or early winter. 



Earthy records 

 (19. 114) that in 

 Sept., 1838, he re- 

 ceived two speci- 

 mens, " one shot 

 at Blackwater, the 

 other found in an 

 exhausted state in 

 the parish of 

 Rayne." One was 

 killed near Wood- 

 ham Mortimer in or 

 about the same year 

 (C. Walford— 19. 

 47). Another was 

 killed on the Black- 

 water, on October 

 6th, 1866, at which 

 time many occurred 

 on the south coast 

 of England. Mr. 

 Stacey, of Dunmow, 



has a specimen shot by a pond near there about the year 1870. One was shot in 

 Wanstead Park on Oct. 5th, 1875 (29- Oct. 9.) Mr. Kerry records one (34. 4827), 

 in full winter plumage, shot at Harwich on Nov. 24th, 1875, and says (40.vii. 119) 

 that on Nov. 3rd, 1882, one was shot and another seen swimming in the Harbour. 

 The Rev. M. C. H. Bird possesses a pair, shot on Canvey Island in 1877. Eng- 

 lish includes it (43. i. 24) as only an " occasional visitor " to Epping, probably on 

 the strength of one shot beside a brook at North Weald (47. 97). Mr. Hope says it 

 is " common in Essex in winter and autumn after heavy north-east gales. Some- 

 times it is seen in summer months, generally swimming inside the mouths of estu- 

 aries." One was killed by a stone from a catapult on Wanstead Flats on Nov. 

 2 1st, 1888 (29. Dec. I and 8). Dr. Salter has one shot from a launch at the 

 entrance to Salcot Creek after a heavy storm in 1881. 



Woodcock : Scolopax rusticida. 



A fairly-common winter visitor, much sought after by sportsmen. 

 Plentiful in some years, but scarce in others. A few remain to breed, 

 and nests in various parts of the county have from time to time, 

 though not very often, been reported. 



Lord Braybrooke, writing to Yarrell (14. ii. 596), mentions one shot at Audley 

 End about 1793, which " weighed full sixteen ounces, and was much the largest- 

 looking bird, as well as the heaviest, I ever saw." Mr. Clarke speaks of it (24) 

 as " frequently killed in winter " round Saffron Walden. He records nests in 

 Peverell's Wood, Wimbish, in the years 1831-32 and 33. On one occasion, the 

 nest, when found, contained eggs, and on two occasions the young birds were 



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