BIRDS 



167. Golden Plover. Charadrius pluvialis, 



Linn. 



Small parties of golden plover may usually 

 be seen with the flocks of lapwings during the 

 winter, arriving and departing with the 

 commoner bird, but occasionally immense 

 flocks appear more in the open country on the 

 north, although good-sized parties are often 

 seen at Tring. In 1882 golden plovers were 

 seen near Hertford during the months of 

 August and September, which is unusually 

 early for them to arrive. 



1 68. Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica (Linn.). 

 This bird, to the best of my knowledge, 



has only occurred in Hertfordshire on three 

 occasions. The first was obtained at Tring 

 in March, 1885, where another was shot by 

 Mr. Ernest Hartert on December I2th, 1897, 

 while he was waiting for duck ; this second 

 bird was a male in fine plumage. The third 

 specimen was a female, which was picked up 

 near Royston in the spring of 1893, having 

 come in contact with the telegraph wires. 



169. Lapwing or Peewit. Vanellus vulgaris, 



Bechstein. 



This bird nests in small numbers through- 

 out the county, but it is only in the winter 

 that they occur in any quantities. Then 

 very often they are to be seen in enormous 

 flocks from the beginning of December well 

 on into February, more especially in the open 

 country to the north of the county. 



170. Oyster-Catcher. H&matopus ostra/egus, 



Linn. 



This species was first recorded in this 

 county in April, 1866, when one was shot at 

 Elstree reservoir, another being killed at the 

 same place by Mr. Wilshin in February, 1868. 

 In 1897 an oyster-catcher was obtained at 

 Tring on September 24th, while two were 

 shot at Rickmansworth in November, 1898. 

 Two more were also observed at Elstree on 

 April loth, 1899. 



171. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fulkarius 



(Linn.). 



In the seventies an example of this species 

 was shot at Grove Mill near Hitchin by Mr. 

 Latchmore, in whose possession it now is. 

 In October, 1885, one was obtained at Tring, 

 where four more were procured in the corres- 

 ponding month in 1891, while in December, 

 1899, another was picked up dead in a wood 

 called 'Stubbings' at Tring Park. This 

 latter bird was quite fresh when found, and 

 was very lean, as if starved. In November, 

 1891, a grey phalarope was shot out of a 

 small pond at Chiltern Green by a Mr. Piggott. 



172. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. 

 This well-known bird is an annual visitor 



to Hertfordshire, arriving usually in October. 

 A few pairs also occasionally stay to breed 

 here, the nest having been found at Tring 

 Park, Hoddesdon, Haileybury and Hertford 

 Heath at various times. 



173. Great Snipe. Gallinago major (Gmelin). 

 Mr. Harting in his Birds of Middlesex 



states that this bird has occurred at Bushey 

 Heath many years ago. An albino variety 

 also is said to have been obtained at Tring in 

 August, 1880. The latest record is of a 

 specimen shot at Slip End, Sandon, on 

 September nth, 1897, by Mr. J. H. Phillips 

 of Royston, and now in his possession. 



174. Common Snipe. Gallinago ccelestis 



(Frenzel). 



This is a fairly plentiful visitor to Hertford- 

 shire, but so far as I am aware it has never 

 been found nesting in the county. 



175. Jack Snipe. Gallinago ga llinula (Linn.). 

 The jack snipe is a bird about which there 



is very little information so far as Hertfordshire 

 is concerned, but it probably visits suitable 

 localities during the winter, and has undoubt- 

 edly been obtained at Tring, while in 1883 

 one was sent to Mr. Spary for preservation, 

 which had been shot near St. Albans. 



176. Dunlin. Tringa alpina. Linn. 



This species is a regular visitor to Tring at 

 all periods of the year, and it has also occurred 

 near Royston, and at Hitchin, Redbourn and 

 Elstree. 



177. Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler. 

 Two little stints were obtained at Tring in 



August, 1885. 



178. Temminck's Stint. Tringa temmincki, 



Leisler. 



A bird of this species is said, on the author- 

 ity of the Hon. W. Rothschild, to have been 

 shot at one of the Tring reservoirs in Sep- 

 tember, 1887. 



179. Sanderling. Calidris arenana (Linn.). 

 This bird occasionally appears at the Tring 



reservoirs on migration, while in December, 

 1893, one was shot near St. Albans. 



1 80. Ruff(? Reeve). Machetes pugnax (Linn.). 

 In the collection at Munden there are two 



ruffs and a reeve which were obtained in that 

 neighbourhood probably between 1840 and 

 1850. Mr. C. P. Stewart also has a reeve 

 which was shot at Chisfield near Stevenage, 

 about 1882. Tring has been favoured by 

 this species on three occasions at least, one 



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