BIRDS 



frosts it sometimes becomes fairly abundant. 

 It breeds sparingly in suitable spots, such as 

 the marshes round the coast and the lake 

 near Holficld Grange, Coggeshall. 



200. Moor-Hen. Gallinula chloropus (Linn.). 

 A very abundant resident. During winter 



large numbers arrive from elsewhere. 



201. Coot. Fultca atra, Linn. 



An abundant resident on and near the 

 coast. Inland it is not often met with, but 

 it appears occasionally on sheets of ornamental 

 water in private parks and sometimes breeds 

 in such situations. It is with us a decreasing 

 species, and the vast flocks which used to 

 appear on our coast during winter have now 

 largely disappeared. 



202. Crane. Grus communis, Bechstein. 

 Once probably common on the marshes, 



but now a rare and occasional straggler only. 

 On November 9, 1888, one was shot out of 

 a flock of eight which settled in a field at 

 Elmstead near Colchester. In the following 

 year one frequented Hamford Water and the 

 adjacent mudflats for several weeks from 

 the end of September till towards the end of 

 October. 



203. Great Bustard. Otis tarda, Linn. 

 Now only a very rare and occasional strag- 

 gler, but formerly a resident, though probably 

 never common in Essex, unless on the exten- 

 sive open downs around Heydon and Chris- 

 hall. A female was shot at Woodham Ferris 

 on December 5, 1879, d unn g a severe frost. 

 On the 6th of the following February another 

 was killed on the border of the county near 

 West Wickham, while a third is said to have 

 been killed about the same time near Man- 

 ningtree. A female was shot at Tillingham 

 about the middle of December 1890, and 

 an individual has been reported to me as 

 having been seen at Hat field Broad Oak on 

 October 31, 1899, during frosty weather. 



204. Little Bustard. Otis tetrax, Linn. 



A rare and occasional straggler. It has 

 occurred at least nine times in Essex always 

 during winter. 



205. Stone - Curlew. (Edicntmus scolopax 



(S. G. Gmelin). 



A scarce summer visitor, usually met with 

 when on migration ; but a few pairs breed 

 still (or endeavour to do so) on the elevated 

 downland in the extreme north-west corner 

 of the county. 



206. Pratincole. Glareola pratinco/a, Linn. 

 A rare straggler. A female was shot about 



the middle of August 1861, on the Old 

 Hall Marshes, Tollesbury (see Birds of Essex, 

 P- 233)- 



207. Cream - coloured Courser. Cunorius 

 gallicus (Gmelin). 



A rare straggler to Britain. An example 

 was shot on October 19, 1858, when in a 

 very exhausted condition on the Temple 

 Mills Marshes beside the river Lea near 

 Stratford. 



208. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn.). 

 A rare passing migrant in spring and autumn. 



The open chalk downs in the extreme north- 

 west corner of the county were formerly a 

 favourite halting-place. 



209. Ringed Plover. sEgialitis hiaticola 

 (Linn.). 



A resident on the coast, breeding sparingly 

 in suitable localities. Large arrivals take place 

 in the autumn. 



210. Kentish Plover. /Egialitis cantiana 



(Latham). 

 A rare passing migrant in spring and autumn. 



211. Golden Plover. Cbaradrius p/uvia/is, 



Linn. 



A common winter visitor, appearing in 

 small flocks in all parts of the county after 

 strong easterly gales and hard weather, and 

 sometimes remaining till the beginning of 

 April, by which time many have assumed 

 their full breeding plumage. 



212. Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica 



(Linn.). 



A fairly common visitor to our coast from 

 autumn to spring. 



213. Peewit or Lapwing. Panel/us vulgaris, 



Bechstein. 



Locally, Green Plover, Black Plover, etc. 

 A common but by no means abundant resi- 

 dent, breeding on the marshes and in fields near 

 the coast and at a few spots inland. Its 

 numbers have been much reduced however by 

 systematic 'egging.' From the inland parts 

 of the county, where it bred formerly not un- 

 commonly, it has been almost banished, pro- 

 bably by high farming. During winter, 

 especially after rough weather, large flocks 

 frequent the large open fields inland. 



2 1 4. Turnstone. Strepsitas interpret (Linn.). 

 A fairly common passing migrant in spring 



and autumn, but individuals have been met 

 with occasionally on our coast at almost all 

 seasons of the year. 



249 



