BIRDS 



183. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus 



(Linn.). 



Dr. Lamb, writing of this bird, says, ' fre- 

 quent on the banks of the Kennet.' A fine 

 male was killed on the Thames near Cookham 

 in the winter of 1865 (Birds of Berks and 

 Bucks, p. 144). On August i, 1884, the 

 Rev. E. T. Whitehurst shot a female at a 

 pond on the downs near Farnborough (Zool. 

 1884, p. 385) ; another was killed at Boxford 

 in 1875 (Palmer, 'Birds of Newbury and Dis- 

 trict '). In January, 1867, one at Newbury, 

 and another on January 27, 1870 (Herbert, 

 Newbury District Field Club), whilst I have 

 heard of others being often seen in the district. 



184. Common Redshank. Totanus calidris 



(Linn.). 



This bird is a rare straggler to our county. 

 Clark Kennedy says he saw some said to have 

 been killed near Windsor, but gives no 

 particulars (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 191). 

 Dr. Lamb mentions one shot on the Loddon 

 in January, 1799. Mr. Wallis tells me he 

 has often heard their notes when passing over 

 in October, and that he flushed one from a 

 small pond in a meadow inside the borough 

 of Reading. 



185. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (Gmelin). 



One was killed at Sonning, December, 

 1 80 1, and one at Newbury, January, 1811 

 ('Ornith. Bercheria'). Mr. Newton tells me 

 he has a specimen in his collection killed on 

 the Thames near Wallingford. 



1 86. Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lapponica 



(Linn.). 



One was shot near Reading in March, 

 1802 ('Ornith. Bercheria'). 



187. Common Curlew. Numenius arquata 



(Linn.). 



The curlew is a rare visitor both in spring 

 and autumn. One was killed at Pangbourne 

 in February, 1795, and another at Newbury in 

 February, 1 8 1 1 (' Ornith. Bercheria '). Clark 

 Kennedy says it has been shot at Cookham, 

 Maidenhead and Windsor, but gives no data 

 (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 142). Mr. 

 Herbert saw one in the Boxford meadows, 

 but did not remember the date (Newbury 

 District Field Club, p. 97). Another was shot 

 at Aston in 1867 (C. Barnett in lit.}, one 

 at Lockinge in 1895 (Cornish in lit.), and 

 Dr. Joy saw and heard some passing over late 

 in the summer of 1901. 



./ 



1 88. Whimbrel. Numenius phaopus, Linn. 

 The ' May-bird,' as this species is called, 



from its notes so often heard when migrating 

 high over head during that month, seldom 

 alights in our county. Dr. Lamb mentions 

 one shot at Sonning, January, 1794. Mr. 

 G. T. Phillips kindly tells me that a pair 

 were shot by Mr. Percy St. Gerrans on the 

 banks of the Blackwater in the autumn of 

 1892. 



189. Black Tern. Hydrockelidonnigra(Linn.). 

 This tern is a not uncommon visitor in 



spring and autumn to our rivers. Mr. Gould 

 obtained one near Maidenhead in May, 1866. 

 Mr. Stubbs recorded one seen by him on the 

 river near Henley in June. An immature 

 specimen is recorded from the county by 

 Mr. Cordeaux, but without date (Zool. 1884, 

 p. 469) ; another by Mr. Herbert from New- 

 bury (Zool. 1873, p. 3455). Mr. Newton 

 has two young birds in his collection taken 

 near Wallingford, and in the late summer of 

 1878 I well remember watching an immature 

 bird hawking flies on the river near Marsh 

 Mills. 



190. Sandwich Tern. Sterna cantiaca, Linn. 

 In the Zoologist for 1895 (pp. 190-1), Mr. 



A. H. Cocks gives an interesting account of 

 having seen eight Sandwich terns on the 

 river at Great Marlow. They arrived about 

 9 a.m. and spent the day in the vicinity. 

 This was on April 10, 1895. The river here 

 is the boundary between Bucks and Berks, 

 hence we have a right to a share of them. 



[Roseate Tern. Sterna dougalli, Montagu. 



Mr. Goatley informed Messrs. Matthews 

 that these birds had been twice killed on the 

 Isis (Zool. 1894, p. 2624.] 



191. Common Tern. Sterna Jluviatilis, 



Naumann. 



A spring and autumn visitor of annual 

 appearance. Sometimes small flocks may be 

 seen flying up and down the river, more 

 especially on the upper reaches. Mr. Fletcher 

 tells me he has often seen them near Benson 

 Lock in early May. An immature bird was 

 found dead at Mapledurham on August 30, 

 1900 (Bradshaw in lit.). Another was ob- 

 tained at Kennington Island, October 17, 

 1890 (Fauna and Flora of Radley, p. 13), and 

 I have often seen these birds on the river from 

 Henley upwards. 



192. Arctic Tern. Sterna macrura, Nau- 



mann. 



An occasional visitor ; far less common 

 than the preceding species, with which it is 

 often confused. It has been killed near 

 Windsor, and in May, 1866, Gould obtained 



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