A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



through Staffordshire by Cannock Chase and 

 the hilly district in the south of the county ' 

 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 124). Ten were 

 shot on Cannock Chase on 15 May 1875, 

 two at Perry Barr in 1882, and one at Great 

 Barr on 4 September 1887, and lastly one was 

 shot by a keeper on the Weaver Hills in 

 October 1895 (Report North Staffs Field 

 Club, 1901). 



1 66. Ringed Plover. Mgialitis hiaticula 



(Linn.) 



Has occurred several times on the Trent 

 but is a very rare visitor to other parts of the 

 county. Recorded by Garner from the 

 Churnet and Cheddleton and at Madeley 

 (1889). 



167. Golden Plover. Charadrius pluvialis, 



Linn. 



Flocks occasionally visit us during the winter 

 and early spring months. Garner records it 

 from Uttoxeter and Stoke meadows (1843). 

 Sir O. Mosley says considerable flocks are 

 found occasionally in the meadows near Tut- 

 bury after winter floods (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, 

 p. 52). Large numbers were seen at Draycot 

 in 1884 ; one shot at Great Barr 2 January 

 1885; recorded from Cheadle in 1886 ; flocks 

 at Cauldon, Endon and Draycot in hard 

 weather, 1890-1, and a flock of about forty 

 at Cheadle in March 1892 (Reports North 

 Staffs Field Club}. 



[Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica (Linn.) 

 Included in Garner's appendix (1860) 



without details. In his MS. notes Mr. Hilton 



is given as his informant.] 



1 68. Lapwing. Vanellui vulgaris, Bechstein. 

 A common resident but partially migrant 



in severe weather. Diminishing in numbers 

 owing to the persistent taking of the eggs for 

 sale, thus depriving the farmer of one of his 

 most useful friends. 



169. Turnstone. Strepsilas interpret (Linn.) 

 Mr. E. A. Brown states that this bird has 



occurred near Burton-on-Trent (Birds of 

 Staffordshire, p. 125). 



170. Oyster-Catcher. Heematopus ostralegus, 



Linn. 



A rare visitor. Garner and Sir O. Mosley 

 say that it has occurred on the Trent, and 

 the latter writer states that one was shot on 

 the Dove on 10 September 1841 (Nat. Hist, 

 of Tut bury, p. 53). In November 1883, two 

 were seen at Wootton-under- Weaver, one of 

 which was killed by a keeper and is now in 

 his possession. One was picked up exhausted 



at Seabridge near Newcastle on 15 October 

 1902 (Report North Staffs Field Club, 1903). 



171. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta, Linn. 

 Professor Newton (Dictionary of Birds, p. 



24) says : ' Plot mentions it so as to lead one 

 to suppose that in his time (1686) it bred in 

 Staffordshire. The actual words are, " Of 

 whole footed waterfowl the Avocetta Italorum 

 or Recurvirostra, is also found here as well as 

 in the Eastern parts of Norfolk and Suffolk, 

 there having been of them killed at the black 

 lakes near Aqualet, eight of them being seen 

 first in the morning and but six at night when 

 they shot.' " It will be seen from the latter 

 part of the passage that the evidence is not 

 very conclusive. One was shot on the Dove 

 near Scropton ' recently ' (Garner). 



172. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fulicarius 



(Linn.) 



A rare visitor. Garner and the authors of 

 the Natural History of Tutbury record it from 

 near Uttoxeter and other localities in the 

 district, and Mr. E. A. Brown says it has 

 occurred near Burton. Others have been 

 killed at Harborne (Oct. 1885), Handsworth 

 (16 Oct. 1891) and Rowley Regis (20 Oct. 

 1891) (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 126). An 

 adult female was shot on 4 October 1893, at 

 Willenhall (Zoo/. 1894, p. 112). 



173. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus 



hyperboreus (Linn.) 



One specimen shot at Handsworth on 24 

 August 1887 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 126). 



174. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. 



A regular winter visitant, a fair number 

 remaining to breed in the larger woods. In 

 Garner's time it was noted as having bred at 

 Betley, and more recently it has been recorded 

 as breeding from Whitmore, Beaudesert, 

 Needwood Forest, Marchington, Bishops' 

 Wood near Cheadle, Ellastone, Stanton and 

 Ham. Varieties of a light drab colour from 

 Swythamley (1847) and cream colour (1871) 

 are on record (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 127). 



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



Gmelin) 



Garner marks this species as ' occasional,' 

 and Mr. E. Brown (Fauna of Burton, p. 106) 

 says two or three specimens have occurred in 

 the district. 



176. Common Snipe. Gallinago coelestis (Fren- 



zel) 



Fairly common, nesting regularly in the 

 north of the county. Sometimes met with in 

 turnip fields in autumn. 



156 



