BIRDS 



1 66. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fulicarius 



(Linn.). 



Of rare occurrence in autumn and winter. 

 Mr. Clark Kennedy (p. 198) wrote: 'Out 

 of the flocks which visited England in the 

 autumn of 1866, a single specimen only 

 seems to have occurred in Buckinghamshire. 

 This bird was seen on the canal at Halton.' 

 No doubt the bird will occasionally occur on 

 larger waters, as specimens were obtained on 

 the Tring reservoirs in 1891 and near Tring 

 in 1899, all close to the Bucks boundary. 



[Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus hyper- 



boreus (Linn.). 



This also might occur occasionally in 

 Buckinghamshire, as one was obtained at the 

 Tring reservoirs in October 1885. (This is 

 recorded by the late John Littleboy as P. 

 fulicarius through an error of E. Roth- 

 schild's.)] 



167. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. 

 The woodcock is a regular migrant in the 



county, though nowhere numerous. It breeds 

 occasionally, though we have no records of 

 recent date. The eggs have been taken near 

 Beaconsfield, and Mr. Kennedy procured an 

 example from a wood near Burnham in the 

 spring of 1867. A few pairs have been 

 known to breed in the ' sixties ' near Stoke and 

 at New Woods, Burnham, as well as near 

 Brickhill (Kennedy, p. 115). It nested in 

 the woods above Drayton Lodge about fifteen 

 years ago, but the eggs were deserted, because 

 one of the parents was shot by a neighbour- 

 ing keeper (W. R.). 



1 68. Great Snipe. Gallinago major (Gmelin). 

 Must certainly occur now and then as a 



migrant, though we have no records for 

 Buckinghamshire. The statement in the 

 Birds of Hertfordshire, p. 213, that an albino 

 variety has been obtained near Tring in 1880 

 is erroneous, this variety being that of a com- 

 mon snipe. 



169. Common Snipe. Gallinago c&Iestis, 



Frenzel. 



Gollinag) galRnagp (Linn.). 

 Common in suitable places, i.e. wherever 

 there is marshy ground. According to Mr. 

 Kennedy nests have been found on East 

 Burnham Common. Mr. Alan F. Grossman 

 told us that he saw and heard this bird drum- 

 ming on Farnham Common, and that he 

 was told that it was to be found there every 

 year. E. Hartert also heard it there last 

 spring. In the severe winter of 1867 snipes 

 were reported as so tame that they ventured 



on to the doorsteps near Eton, and flew only 

 a few yards when disturbed. During con- 

 tinuous hard weather many die of starvation. 



170. Jack Snipe. Gallinago gallinula (Linn.). 



Certainly much less frequent than the 

 common snipe, but probably occurring wher- 

 ever that is found, though generally less 

 partial to swampy ground and not seldom 

 flushed from meadows and fields. Kennedy 

 mentions Chesham, Missenden and Slapton 

 as localities where it had occurred. Near 

 Tring, close to the Buckinghamshire borders, 

 it occurs sparingly every year, and there are 

 several specimens from the reservoirs and the 

 ' flats ' in the museum. 



171. Wilson's Snipe. Gallinago wilsoni, 



Temminck. 



(The proper name is G. delicata, Ord. 

 [1825], the name wilsoni being given in 

 1826.) 



Acording to Mr. Harting (Handbook, 1901, 

 p. 434) a specimen was obtained at Taplow 

 on August r, 1863. Neither Saunders nor 

 Sharpe have quoted this occurrence. It was 

 first published in the Zoologist, 1872, p. 3273. 



172. Dunlin. Tringa alpina, Linn. 



In spring, late summer and autumn but 

 not at all periods of the year a more or less 

 regular visitor to the banks of the Thames 

 and other rivers, as well as to all reservoirs or 

 large ponds. 



173. Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler. 



Might possibly be found occasionally, as it 

 was obtained on the Tring reservoirs in 

 August 1883 and on July 29, 1893. (Speci- 

 men in Tring Museum.) 



174. Curlew-Sandpiper. Tringa subarquata 



(Gttldenstadt). 



We have no evidence of this bird's occur- 

 rence in Buckinghamshire, but it is sure to 

 occur exceptionally, as it sometimes visits the 

 Tring reservoirs, where, among others, three 

 young birds were shot on September 3, 1892, 

 and are now preserved in the Tring Museum. 



175. Sanderling. Calidris arenaria (Linn.) 



Clark Kennedy says that one was shot on 

 the river Thames near Surley Hall in winter 

 1866. We have not seen the sanderling on 

 the Tring reservoirs recently, though it oc- 

 curred there at least as late as 1886 ; but 

 on 1 8 August, 1902, an adult male, changing 

 into winter plumage, was shot by Mr. T. 

 Horwood near Drayton Beauchamp. 



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