A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



217. Black-tailed Godwit. Litnosa belgica 



(J. F. Gmelin) 



Two or three specimens have occurred 

 one near Newark, another near Ollerton, and 

 one was shot near Newark in September 1892, 

 which was first seen amongst some fowls. 



2 1 8. Common Curlew. Numenius arquata, 



(Linn.) 



From time to time this bird is seen, gener- 

 ally flying over. It has also been killed on 

 several occasions at Thoresby, Edwinstowe, 

 Ramsdale, Oxton, and Mansfield reservoir. 



219. Whimbrel. Numenius phaopus (Linn.) 

 Much rarer than the last species. In 1847 



one was shot at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. 

 I shot one at Ramsdale in August 1865 ; 

 one near Ollerton in 1882, and one near 

 Mansfield about 1880. I heard them passing 

 over my house in May 1 90 1 . 



220. Black Tern. Hydrochelldon nigra (Linn.) 

 Not an uncommon spring visitor on the 



Trent. I saw them flying over the lake at 

 Rainworth in 1885, and again in 1887 ; it 

 has also been shot at Mansfield reservoir. 



221. Caspian Tern. Sterna caspia, Pallas. 



A specimen of this very rare straggler was 

 killed on the border of the county at Cay- 

 thorpe on 17 May 1863 and was taken in 

 the flesh to Mr. Foottit of Newark. 



222. Sandwich Tern. Sterna cantiaca, J. F. 



Gmelin. 



One was seen by Mr. Whitlock in May 

 1888 flying up and down the Trent at Barton 

 Ferry. 



223. Common Tern. Sterna fluviati/is, Nau- 



mann. 



This is a frequent spring visitor and has 

 been obtained on many occasions ; hardly a 

 spring passes without one or more being 

 noticed on Mansfield reservoir and the Trent. 

 I have seen it flying over Rainworth Lake. 



224. Arctic Tern. Sterna macrura, Nau- 



mann. 



As far as I am aware only two specimens 

 have been shot, both occurring on the Trent 

 near Newark. 



225. Little Tern. Sterna minuta, Linn. 

 This little bird has occurred several times, 



twice in winter. In 1838 one was shot on 

 the Trent near Nottingham, and taken to 

 Mr. Felkin ; another was seen by Mr. Foottit 

 flying over the stream near Southwell, and one 

 now in Mr. Musters' collection was killed at 



Annesley. Others have been observed at 

 Thoresby and Mansfield reservoir. 



226. Little Gull. Larus minutus, Pallas. 



A rare straggler. One was shot on the 

 Trent near Clifton Grove in December 1870, 

 and a second on the same river near Notting- 

 ham on 29 December 1892. 



227. Black-headed Gull. Larus ridibundus, 



Linn. 



This gull is a constant visitor ; it is shot 

 on the Trent continually, and has been killed 

 at many places in the county. I have seen 

 them about the lakes at Rainworth very late 

 in the spring and have wondered they have 

 not nested there as it is a very suitable 

 locality. 



228. Common Gull. Larus canus, Linn. 

 Frequently seen and generally in winter and 



early spring. Flocks have been seen on the 

 Trent and also on the Nottingham Corpora- 

 tion farm at Burton Joyce ; one was obtained 

 at Ramsdale in September 1863, and I have 

 noticed them near Rainworth. 



229. Herring Gull. Larus argentatus, J. F. 



Gmelin. 



Neither so common nor so much of an 

 inland bird as the two last species. It has 

 often been seen on the Trent ; I saw one at 

 Rainworth on 20 October 1898, and my son 

 saw six there on 15 April 1899. 



230. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus, 



Linn. 



This bird is more frequent than the last and 

 is seen from time to time flying over the 

 Trent. One was shot at Bothamsall near 

 Ollerton in May 1855, another on Markham 

 Moor in May 1859, onc near Nottingham 

 in May 1866, and I saw two flying over 

 Rainworth Park on 21 September 1898. I 

 have one in full plumage killed near Mansfield 

 about 1870. 



231. Great Black-backed Gull. Larus mar i- 



nus, Linn. 



This fine gull has been killed several times 

 on the Trent both in mature and immature 

 plumage. One frequented a fallow field near 

 Newark-on-Trent for two months ; in 1862 

 an immature bird was shot at Lamb Close 

 reservoir ; I saw a mature bird of this 

 species fly low over my house on 23 Sep- 

 tember 1896, and another in the same 

 plumage on 5 April 1902. 



232. Glaucous Gull. Larus glaucus, Fabri- 



cius. 

 A rare straggler, and I have heard of only 



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