BIRDS 



1 80. Lapwing. Vanellus vulgarh, Bechstein. 

 Locally, Peewit. 



A very common resident, breeding not only 

 in the low lying meadows but also on the 

 uplands right up to the edge of the heather. 

 After the breeding season large flocks are 

 usually met with on the lower ground, espa- 

 cially in the valleys of the Dove and Trent. 

 In wet weather the eggs often show traces of 

 mud from the birds' feet, and on May 8, 

 1900, I came across a clutch of eggs which 

 were completely caked with mud so that the 

 shell was completely hidden. A young lap- 

 wing sent to Hutchinson for preservation on 

 August 7, 1 900, was a pale buff colour all 

 over with the exception of a few white 

 feathers. Later in the same year another 

 cream-coloured bird was caught on the sew- 

 age farm, but unfortunately was not pre- 

 served, and others were seen about the same 

 time. 



[Turnstone. Strepsilas interpret (Linn.). 



One of these birds was shot by Mr. E. A. 

 Brown on the Trent between Burton and 

 Nottingham, but unfortunately I have not 

 been able to ascertain the date or place.] 



1 8 1. Oyster-catcher. Htematopus ostralegus, 



Linn. 



An occasional visitor generally to the south 

 of the county. Whitlock mentions eight in- 

 stances of its occurrence near Derby, at 

 Melbourne (two), on the Dove near Tut- 

 bury, at Newton Solney, and on the sewage 

 farm at Egginton where Mr. R. C. Cotton 

 saw three. 



182. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn. 

 There is no recent record of this species, 



but during the first half of the nineteenth 

 century stragglers appear to have occasionally 

 visited the Trent and Dove valleys. One 

 was shot in 1800 at Barton Ferry on the 

 Nottingham border (Birds of Nottingham, p. 

 41), another on the Dove near Scopton pro- 

 bably about 1840 (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, 

 pp. 54, 1 06). Mr. Wolley saw one near the 

 junction of the Trent and Soar in June, 1856 

 (Zool. 1856, p. 5280) ; and in 1859 one was 

 seen at Thrumpton on the same day that 

 another was killed lower down the Trent 

 (Birds of Nottingham, p. 41). 



1 83. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fulicarms 



(Linn.). 



Locally, Grey scollop-toed Sandpiper (Pilking- 

 ton). 



Whitlock records six killed in different 

 parts of the county, including one shot by 



the Rev. F. Gisborne on September 26, 

 1770, at Staveley, and others more recently 

 at Long Eaton, Draycott (October, 1891), 

 Swarkestone (October 17, 1891), and near 

 Heeley. 



184. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. 

 Although a pair or two probably breed 



with us annually, and there is evidence that 

 they have nested at Hayfield, Ashford-in-the 

 Water, Derby and Melbourne, the number 

 of breeding birds is curiously small and shows 

 no signs of increasing. In the neighbouring 

 counties of Nottingham and Stafford however 

 woodcock have bred in many places. As an 

 autumn and winter visitor to the county 

 there is little doubt that the woodcock is far 

 less common than in former times. 



185. Great Snipe. Gallinago major (J. F. 



Gmelin). 



The earlier records of this species are 

 somewhat vague and unsatisfactory, but there 

 is reason to believe that it has occurred 

 several times, and Mr. J. Whitaker has two 

 Derbyshire birds in his collection. One was 

 killed at Bolsover on October 12, 1892 

 (Naturalist, 1892, p. 326), and several in 

 January, 1902. 



1 8 6. Common Snipe. Gallinago ccelestis 



(Frenzel). 



Breeds locally in many parts of Derbyshire, 

 especially in the upper part of the Dove 

 valley, and in suitable spots in the High 

 Peak. To the lowlands of the south it is a 

 common winter visitor, but few remain to 

 breed. Glover mentions a white variety shot 

 near Weston Cliff about 1820, and Whitlock 

 one from Matlock in 1880 in which the 

 whole plumage was suffused with buff. 



187. Jack Snipe. Gallinago gallinula, Linn. 



Not an uncommon winter visitor to north 

 as well as south Derbyshire. 



1 88. Dunlin. Tringa alpina, Linn. 

 There is reason to believe that a few pairs 



of dunlins breed on the north Derbyshire 

 moors. In 1893 Mr. E. T. Doncaster ob- 

 served two pairs near Redmires, and later on 

 saw a party of twelve fully fledged. Mr. 

 Storrs Fox saw one in full breeding plumage 

 on June 13, 1893, on Stanage Edge, and the 

 Rev. A. E. Sorby noticed others in the breed- 

 ing season on the Sheffield moors. In 1901 

 one of these birds was shot during the sum- 

 mer near Redmires and its nest with four 

 eggs taken. As spring migrants they regularly 

 visit the Trent valley. One shot by F. B. 



