BIRDS 



\ 



40. Crested Tit. Parus cristatus, Linn. 



A rare and occasional straggler. One or 

 two examples are said (Birds of Essex, p. 94) 

 to have been obtained near Saffron Walden 

 early in last century, but none have been seen 

 since. 



41. Nuthatch. Sitta aesia, Wolf. 



A fairly common resident, especially in 

 parks and wooded districts where fine old 

 timber exists. 



42. Wren. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch. 

 Locally, Tiddy-Wren, Jenny- Wren, etc. 



A common resident. 



43. Tree-Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn. 

 Resident and fairly common everywhere, 



but too retiring to be seen very often. 



44. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla lugubris, Temm. 

 A common resident, though comparatively 



few remain through severe winters. 



45. White Wagtail. Motacilla alba, Linn. 

 An uncommon visitor, chiefly in spring : 



often mistaken, no doubt, for the last-named 

 species. 



46. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. 

 A regular but uncommon visitor in autumn 



and winter. It is not known to have nested 

 in the county. 



47. Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla 



flava, Linn. 



An occasional spring visitor : often mis- 

 taken, doubtless, for the next species. The 

 first example detected in Britain was shot by 

 Henry Doubleday on the cliffs at Walton- 

 on-the-Naze on October 3, 1834 (Birds of 

 Essex, p. 98). Probably it has bred in the 

 county, as it has been observed in pairs in 

 May. 



48. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla rait (Bona- 



parte). 



A summer visitor, breeding commonly 

 beside the marsh ditches near the coast, 

 though never inland, so far as my experience 

 goes. 



49. Tree-Pipit. Antbus trivialis (Linn.). 

 A fairly common summer visitor. 



50. Meadow-Pipit. Anthus pratensis (Linn.). 

 Locally, Tit-lark. 



A resident, abundant in the meadows and 

 on the marshes and saltings round the coast : 

 much less numerous inland. 



51. Rock-Pipit. Anthus obscurus (Latham). 

 Common during winter among the saltings 



and mudflats in the estuaries of our rivers, 

 where it is generally found running about, 

 singly or in small parties, upon the mud under 

 the ' brew' of the ditches inside the sea-walls. 

 It is said to have bred formerly on our coast, 

 and has been known to do so on one recent 

 occasion at East Mersea, in 1892 (Fitch). 



52. Golden Oriole. Oriolus galbula, Linn. 

 A summer visitor, but uncommon. The 



appearance of individuals, singly and in pairs, 

 in the county of late years during early sum- 

 mer seems to leave little doubt that it has 

 bred recently with us, and that it would 

 have done so oftener had it not been molested ; 

 but there is no actual record of its having done 

 so which is wholly satisfactory. 



53. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor, 



Linn. 



A regular though uncommon winter visitor, 

 some occurring every year. A few indi- 

 viduals have been seen in the county during 

 summer, but it is not known to have bred in 

 Britain. The Eastern form of the bird (L. 

 major) has occasionally occurred in Essex, 

 while at least one other sub-specific form is 

 likely to occur, and these should be carefully 

 discriminated. 



54. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius collurio, Linn. 

 A fairly common summer visitor, but 



steadily decreasing, I believe, in numbers, 

 probably because the large thorn-hedges in 

 which it used to nest are now largely cut 

 down. 



55. Woodchat Shrike. Lanius pomeranus, 



Sparrman. 



A rare and occasional summer visitor. A 

 pair were shot at Arkesden late in August 

 1880, and one or two other individuals have 

 been reported as seen from time to time 

 (see Birds of Essex, p. 1 06). 



56. Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus, Linn. 



An irregular winter visitor. In some years 

 (for instance, 1835, 1850, 1866 and 1893) 

 it has occurred in considerable numbers : in 

 others, none have been seen. 



57. Pied Flycatcher. Muscicapa atricapilla, 



Linn. 



A passing migrant, occasionally seen in 

 spring and autumn when going to or from 

 its breeding haunts further north. It is said 

 (Harting's Summer Migrants, p. 163) to have 

 bred in the county on one occasion. 



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