A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



Notts. I have a beautiful cream-coloured 

 variety which was shot in November 1899 

 near Farnsfield. 



190. Turnstone. Stref si/as interpret (Linn.) 



Mr. G. Attenbury shot two of these birds 

 near Sutton-on-Trent, and my father killed 

 one at Ramsdale. These are the only occur- 

 rences of which I have heard. 



191. Oyster-Catcher. H<ematopus ostra/egus, 



Linn. 



A rare Notts bird. I have one shot at 

 Mansfield reservoir in 1870; one was shot 

 near Newark -on -Trent, and was in Mr. 

 Foottit's collection ; and a third was ob- 

 tained near Ollerton in 1875, and is in the 

 collection of Lord Savile at Rufford Abbey. 



192. Avocet. Rtcurvirostra avocetta, Linn. 



A few of these striking birds have been 

 killed. One was shot on the Trent at Barton 

 Ferry near Beeston in 1 800 ; another was 

 killed at Fiskerton in 1859 ; another was 

 seen at Thrumpton on the Trent side ; and 

 a fourth, in immature plumage, was seen on 

 24 July 1856 on the banks of the stream at 

 Edwinstowe and killed by a boy with a stick. 



193. Black-winged Stilt. Himantopus candi- 



dus, Bonnaterre. 



The first and only instance of this bird 

 having been seen in Nottinghamshire was at 

 Perlethorpe near Ollerton on 30 January 

 1848, when Mr. Mansel and his son saw 

 one, apparently feeding, in a shallow ditch in 

 an ashholt bordering the stream. It rose 

 with a shrill cry, and flew low towards the 

 river. They had a clear view of the bird 

 both standing and flying, and had no doubt 

 of its identity. 



194. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fulicarlus 



(Linn.) 



Two were shot near Newark-on-Trent, 

 and were in Mr. Foottit's collection ; one 

 was shot near Eastwood in i88i,and another 

 at Holme near Newark in 1891. I have 

 two in my collection, one shot about 1870 

 on Mansfield reservoir, and the other killed on 

 Rainworth Water. All these occurred in 

 the autumn. 



195. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus hy- 



perboreus (Linn.) 



Only one specimen of this very pretty 

 little bird has been obtained. It was shot by 

 my father on the side of his pond at Rams- 

 dale 6 July 1843. 



196. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticu/a, Linn. 



A fairly common autumn visitor, and a few 

 remain and nest. Some woods attract this 

 bird more than others, and certain places in 

 such woods. Thieves Wood is a favourite 

 covert, and thirty-six have been killed there 

 in one day. Newstead Park is another good 

 locality. It breeds in some numbers in Birk- 

 land, also Harlow Wood, Ruffbrd, Newstead 

 and Annesley. I have a white variety killed 

 in Thoresby Park in 1861. 



197. Great Snipe. Gallmago major (J. F. 



Gmelin) 



This bird has been obtained occasionally, 

 but it is a very rare visitor. One was shot 

 years ago by Mr. John Hardy at Bestwood 

 Park, one at Hickling near Nottingham on 

 3 October 1882, and the Rev. W. Becher 

 killed another near Southwell in 1883. 



198. Common Snipe. Gallmago caelesth 



(Frenzel) 



This species is scattered over Notts in suit- 

 able places and breeds in a good many parts. 

 There are generally several nests at Rain- 

 worth, and I have found one within 100 

 yards of my house. The late Mr. Cursham 

 in one day shot twenty-five couples on the 

 end of Mansfield reservoir when the water 

 was low, and could have got more but ran 

 short of cartridges. A white variety was 

 seen near Blidworth several times in 1883. 



1 99. Jack Snipe. Gallinago gallinula (Linn.) 

 Not as plentiful as it was thirty years ago 



when I have killed several in one day ; now 

 I rarely see one. I once flushed one on 

 I September 1867, a very early date. 



200. Dunlin. Tringa a/pina, Linn. 



It has been seen and shot on the side of 

 the Trent several times, both near Nottingham 

 and Newark. I have some which were killed 

 on the side of Mansfield reservoir and at Park 

 Hall ; also one killed on Rainworth Water. 



201. Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler. 

 Two were shot near Newark-on-Trent ; 



it has also been killed on the side of Mans- 

 field reservoir, and one in my collection was 

 shot in August 1881 on the Trent near 

 Nottingham. 



202. Temminck's Stint. Tringa temmincki, 



Leisler. 



Very rare indeed with us. The only 

 specimen which has been obtained was shot 

 on the side of Mansfield reservoir about 1869 

 and is now in my collection. 



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