A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



142. Whooper Swan. Cygnus musicus, Bech- 



stcin. 



Formerly herds of these swans were often 

 seen passing over the county, but now it is a 

 rare sight. They are birds of hard winters. 

 A flock of twelve spent a few days on the 

 Trent in March 1845 ; two were killed on 

 the Trent in 1 848 near Newark ; one was 

 shot out of a flock of five at Lamb Close 

 Reservoir in 1871 ; another at Besthorpe in 

 November 1872; and I saw six on the lake 

 at Welbeck, 23 December 1902. 



143. Bewick's Swan. Cygnus bewicki, Yar- 



rell. 



This species has been observed occasionally. 

 It has been shot near Newark-on-Trent by 

 Mr. Foottit, and also near Nottingham ; in 

 December 1899 a flock of sixty flew over 

 Mr. Musters' head at Annesley Park, and 

 from their size he was certain they were of 

 this species. Twenty-one settled on Rainworth 

 Water on 28 November 1902, when my son 

 shot two, one on the water, the other on the 

 wing, with a rifle. 



144. Mute Swan. Cygnus olor (J. F. Gmelin) 

 It is common on all the waters in Notting- 

 hamshire, and I have seen as many as fifty- 

 eight on Thoresby Lake at one time. I have 

 no doubt the pure wild species occurs now 

 and again. 



145. Common Sheld Duck. Tadorna cornuta 



(S. G. Gmelin) 



The late Mr.Sterland twice saw this duck on 

 the lake at Thoresby, and it has been noticed 

 on the river Idle at Retford ; a female was 

 shot in December 1864 at Beeston Rylands, 

 and one was shot on the Trent at Tnrump- 

 ton in January 1885. It has also been seen 

 at Newstead. 



146. Ruddy Sheld-Duck. Tadorna casarca 



(Linn.) 



The late Mr. Webb saw two of these 

 striking ducks on the lake in Newstead Abbey 

 Park in 1869 ; they were very wild and in- 

 accessible and remained there some time. 



147. Mallard or Wild Duck. Anas boscas, 



Linn. 



This duck is common all over the county, 

 more especially on the large lakes in north 

 Nottinghamshire ; I have seen over a hundred 

 on Rainworth Water at one time. It is an 

 early breeder, and I have found its nest in the 

 centre of a big wood half a mile from the 

 outside and a long way from water. I have 



several pretty varieties, most of which were 

 taken in a trap at Park Hall and kindly given 

 me by Mr. Hall. 



148. Gadwall. Anas strepera, Linn. 



A rare Notts duck. One was shot near 

 Retford by Mr. Thorold in 1858. Mr. 

 Webb has seen them once or twice on the 

 lake at Newstead, and one was killed on the 

 lake at Fountain Dale by the late Sir A. 

 Need. 



149. Shoveler. Spatula clypeata (Linn.) 

 This handsome duck has, I am glad to say, 



increased of late years. The first pair I ever 

 saw nesting was in 1874, and in 1884 these 

 had increased to six pairs. It has bred at 

 Park Hall and other places during the last 

 few years. It generally nests away from 

 water. 



1 50. Pintail. Dafila acuta (Linn.) 



This is a very rare duck in Nottingham- 

 shire, but has been obtained on the Trent 

 near Newark. One was shot by Mr. Turner 

 in January 1903 on Forest Pond, and five were 

 seen at Annesley during the same month. 



151. Teal. Nfttton crecca (Linn.) 



Fairly common, and many breed on the 

 Nottinghamshire waters. We have had as 

 many as six pairs nesting at Rainworth ; it 

 also nests at Newstead, and on some of the 

 forest ponds. 



152. Garganey. ^uerquedula circla (Linn.) 

 There are several occurrences of this bird. 



A male was shot on the Trent near Newark 

 by Mr. Foottit ; Mr. Percy had a male and 

 female killed on the Trent near Beeston 

 fields ; the Rev. W. Becher obtained another 

 near Southwell about 1880, and a pair were 

 shot at Rainworth on 10 April 1880. I 

 wonder it is not more frequently seen, as the 

 waters at Rainworth are most suitable. 



153. Wigeon. Mareca penelope (Linn.) 

 This is a winter visitor and is often seen 



in large quantities on some of the lakes, 

 especially in the forest. Numbers frequent 

 the lake at Park Hall, and I have shot many 

 on the lakes at Rainworth. A slightly 

 wounded duck wigeon remained on the large 

 sheet of water at Lamb Close and was joined 

 by a male ; they nested and reared a good 

 brood. On 5 August 1883, when walking 

 round the lake here with Messrs. Aplin and 

 Bid well, we saw one of these ducks in full 

 breeding plumage ; it appeared in good health 

 and was by itself. 



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