256 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



CURLEW, l/l2. 



Curlew : Numenius arqiiata. I,ocally, " Whitterick " and " Old 



Harry" (E. A. R). 



A very common bird on the mud-banks and saltings on the 



Essex coast from about the middle of July to the end of May, but it 



does not breed anywhere 

 in this part of England, and 

 the only occasions when 

 they are to be seen inland 

 in this county are during 

 the periods of spring and 

 autumn migration, when 

 small parties may some- 

 times be observed flying 

 over, and their loud 

 whistling notes may often 

 be heard at night, especi- 

 ally when the birds are 

 confused by the gas-lights 



of a town. Some (perhaps wounded birds) undoubtedly remain on 



the coast all the year round. 



Sheppard and Whitear state (9. 42) that they are " to be met with at all times 

 of the year between Ipswich and Harwich ; but their nests have hitherto not 

 been found in those parts." Round Orsett, too, "a few seem to stay on the flats 

 all the year round" (Sackett). Lindsey, in 1851, says (27. App. 49) that it is " a 

 common bird on our coast, where it obtains a living from the middle of autumn, 

 through the winter, until the pairing season of the following spring." Lieut. Legge, 

 writing from Shoebury in November 1865, says (34. 92) " Great numbers of Cur- 

 lews feed on the flats in company with Godwits, Dulins and Sea-gulls. * * * I 

 have never seen them so plentiful anywhere in England as they are here." As 

 regards its occurrence inland, Mr. Grubb says (39) : "We hear the distant cry of 

 this bird" at Sudbury. Mr. Buxton says (47. 97) it has been "seen several 

 times [in the Forest] and killed at Copped Hall." Mr. R. W. Christy saw 

 a small party here in March, 1879, "^"^^ another of four about the middle of August, 

 1888. On the evening of May i6th, 1880, I saw a pair fly over here in a N.E. 

 direction. About the middle of Jan. following, Mr. Travis received one shot at 

 Littlebury. Their movements on the Essex coast are shown by the following ob- 

 servations of Mr. Parsons : — 1826, Apr. 2 1st, " a good many on the sands." 1836, 

 Apr. nth, "not yet all gone;" i6th, " a good many about Canvey Island." 

 1837, May 23rd, " A great many up the Ray ; " June 6th, " not one to be seen 

 there." 1840, May 30th, " a great many up the Ray." Regarding their return 

 in the autumn he notes : 1833, July 18, "they are arriving on the shore." 1835, 

 July 21, " a great many on the sands ; " July 31st, "a great many on the shore 

 now." 1836, July I, " a flock of as many as twenty on the sands ; " i8th, a good 

 many about the sands " (2 2). 



Among extraordinary shots made in Essex may be mentioned one made some 

 thirty or forty 3'ears ago by a gunner named Frank Hope, of Maldon, who killed 



