A HISTORY OF WARWICKSHIRE 



158. Ringed Plover. /Egialitis biaticula 



(Linn.) 



An uncertain straggler appearing sometimes 

 in the winter. Mr. T. Ground of Birming- 

 ham has a note of one at Haywood near that 

 city. It has also occurred not uncommonly 

 at Sutton Coldfield. 



159. Golden Plover. Charadrius p/uvialis, 



Linn. 



A winter visitor to the county, and not 

 uncommon, usually associating with lapwings. 



1 60. Lapwing. Vanellus vu/garis, Bechstein. 

 A common resident and breeding in many 

 localities. 



[Turnstone. Strepsilas interpret (Linn.) 

 ' Very rare.' Chase.] 



161. Oyster-Catcher. Htematopus ostra/egus, 



Linn. 



A rare straggler which has appeared in 

 many parts of the county. Mr. T. Ground 

 has a note of one which was found in Broad 

 Street, Birmingham, on 30 January, 1877. 



162. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fu/icarins 



(Linn.) 



An uncertain visitor in winter, but in some 

 seasons not very rare. It appeared in several 

 localities in 1844, 1853, J ^57 all( l 1886. 



163. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus hyper- 



boreus (Linn.) 

 ' Has occurred once at Tamworth.' Chase. 



164. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticu/a, Linn. 

 Common throughout winter in many places, 



and has bred in the woods near Alcester. 



165. Great Snipe. Gallinago major (Gmelin) 

 According to Mr. Chase the great snipe 



has once occurred near Tamworth. It is also 

 mentioned by Mr. Steele Elliott as having 

 appeared at Sutton Coldfield in January, 1892, 

 and November, 1894. 



1 66. Common Snipe. Gallinago caelest'n (Fren- 

 zel) 



In the early part of the last century the 

 snipe was abundant in many localities in the 

 county. Snitterfield is said to have taken its 

 name from the plentifulness of this bird in 

 that neighbourhood. It is reported to have 

 bred, though only sparingly, in the north of 

 the county. 



167. Jack Snipe. Gallinago gallinula (Linn.) 

 A common though not very abundant 

 winter visitor. 



1 68. Dunlin. Tringa alpina, Linn. 



A very rare straggler inland. A few in- 

 dividuals have been met with in the valley of 

 the Avon, and one is recorded as occurring 

 at Small Heath near Birmingham. One which 

 was shot on the Arrow near Alcester has the 

 feathers of the back margined by rich chest- 

 nut, and the under parts partially spotted 

 with black, as in the breeding season, but I 

 have not the date of its appearance. 



169. Ruff. Machetes pugnax (Linn.) 

 According to Mr. Chase this bird has once 



appeared at Sutton Coldfield. 



170. Bartram's Sandpiper. Bartramia longi- 



cauda (Bechstein) 



The first known example of this as a 

 British bird was shot by the late Lord Wil- 

 loughby de Broke on his estate at Compton 

 Verney, Warwickshire, on 31 October, 1851. 

 It was no doubt a passage bird which had 

 alighted in the middle of a stubble field and 

 permitted a near approach, as the writer was 

 informed by Lord Willoughby himself. Com- 

 pared with preserved skins from the United 

 States, the Warwickshire specimen is paler 

 in colour and the dark markings less distinct. 



171. Common Sandpiper. Totanus hypoleucus 



(Linn.) 



A regular spring migrant appearing on our 

 streams for a short time only, and not known 

 to breed. In the autumn there is another 

 appearance, consisting chiefly of young birds. 



172. Wood - Sandpiper. Totanus glareola 



(Gmelin) 



Very rare. Mr. Chase records its appear- 

 ance at the sewage farm near Birmingham. 



173. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus 



(Linn.) 



Has occurred in many localities in the 

 county, but must be reported as rare. It 

 seems to frequent pools or any other retired 

 place, rather than navigable streams or canals. 



174. Redshank. Totanus calidrh (Linn.) 

 The redshank is reported by Mr. Chase to 



have appeared at the sewage farm near Bir- 

 mingham. 



175. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (Gmelin) 

 A specimen in the writer's collection was 



shot out of a flock passing over the estate of Mr. 

 J. R. West at Alscot near Stratford-on-Avon 

 on 26 August, 1847. Mr. Chase mentions 

 Castle Bromwich as a locality where it has 

 occurred. 



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