BIRDS 



177. Jack Snipe. Galllnago gallinula (Linn.) 

 A winter visitor. The earliest record of 



its arrival is 28 August 1884, when one was 

 shot near Cheadle (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 

 127). A curious variety is recorded from 

 Endon with dirty white streaks in place of buff 

 (Report North Staffs Field Club, 1901). 



178. Dunlin. Tringa alpina, Linn. 

 Occasionally met with in autumn and 



winter in the Trent valley and probably on 

 migration in other parts. One at Madeley on 

 28 March 1892 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 128). 



[Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler. 

 Mentioned in Garner's list on Dr. Hewgill's 

 authority without details.] 



[Purple Sandpiper. Tringa striata, Linn. 



The birds of this species recorded in the 

 Birds of Staffordshire (p. 128) were not killed 

 at Burton-on-Trent but on the Burton sewage 

 farm which is near Egginton in Derbyshire.] 



179. Knot. Tringa canutus, Linn. 



Three shot near Burton on 5 October 1891 

 (Birds of Derbyshire, p. 209), where they have 

 occasionally been killed in former years. One 

 was killed at Tittensor in December 1892 

 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 128; Report North 

 Staffs Field Club, 1893, p. 55). 



1 80. Sanderling. Calidris arenaria (Linn.) 

 Three shot at Walton-on-Trent about 



1878 (Birds of Derbyshire, p. 210). 



1 8 1. Ruff. Machetes pugnax (Linn.) 



Two birds in immature plumage were shot 

 near Burton in the summer of 1857 (Fauna of 

 Burton, p. 1 06). 



182. Common Sandpiper. Totanus hypoleucus 



(Linn.) 



A summer migrant breeding regularly on 

 streams in the north of the county. In 1891 

 a pair hatched off their young in the vicarage 

 garden at Madeley (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 

 129). 



183. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus 



(Linn.) 



An occasional visitor. Garner records one 

 from Betley, and Mosley and Brown note it 

 as frequently occurring. Several seen at 

 Alton in \ 884-5 and one killed. The Rolles- 

 ton Hall museum contains a specimen shot in 

 January 1894, on the estate. 



184. Redshank. Totanus calidris (Linn.) 

 Locally, Whistling Plover. 



Formerly only an occasional visitor, but 



within the last thirty years has established 

 itself as a breeding species in the valleys of 

 the Trent and lower Dove. A good many 

 pairs now nest annually in the meadows by 

 these rivers (Report North Staffs Field Club, 



185. Spotted Redshank. Totanus fuscus 



(Linn.) 



Mr. Edwin Brown possessed one specimen 

 which was killed on the Dove (Fauna of 

 Burton, p. 1 06). 



1 86. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (J. F. 

 Gmelin) 



Recorded in the Birds of Staffordshire (p. 

 130) as having been sometimes seen near 

 Burton-on-Trent and shot near Brereton 

 Lodge. 



187. Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lapponica 



(Linn.) 



A rare straggler. Two were shot near 

 Burton ' many years ago ' and identified by 

 Mr. C. Hanson (Birds of Derbyshire, p. 215). 

 Sir O. Mosley and Mr. Brown state that it 

 has occurred several times on the Trent. 



[Black-tailed Godwit. Limosa belgica (J. F. 

 Gmelin) 



The entry with regard to this species in the 

 Birds of Staffordshire is erroneous ; no mention 

 of it occurs in the Natural History of Tutbury.~\ 



1 88. Common Curlew. Numenius arquata 



(Linn.) 



A few pairs of these birds still breed on the 

 moors in the north of the county and on 

 Cannock Chase and Chartley under careful 

 preservation. Several times recorded in other 

 parts of the county (Report North Staffs Field 

 Club}. 



189. Whimbrel. Numenius ph&opus (Linn.) 

 A rare visitor. F. B. Whitlock says that 



a few pass up and down the Trent valley on 

 migration to and from the north. Two 

 whimbrels which were accompanied by a 

 curlew at the time were shot at Swinscoe on 

 30 April, 1899 (Report North Staffs Field 

 Club, 1901 ; see also 1894, pp. 53-4). 



190. Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra 



(Linn.) 



A rare straggler during the summer months. 

 One shot near Patshull House, Wolverhamp- 

 ton, about 1876 and another seen for some 

 days in August 1886, on the same piece of 

 water (Field). One killed at Madeley Pool 

 in 1889 (Reports North Staffs Field Club) 

 and another shot at Rolleston 10 May 1894 

 is now in the museum. 



157 



