36 



KNOWLEDGE 



[Februaet 1, 1898. 



BRITISH 



,# 



ORNITHOLOGICAL 



NOTES, 



Conducted by Harry F. Witherbt, f.z.s., M.B.o.n. 



WiGEON NESTING IN YORKSHIRE. — Od May 12th, 1897, 

 whilst on a birdnesting expedition in a locality not very 

 far from Scarborough which is largely frequented by water- 

 fowl, I flushed a duck from the ground. A short search 

 sufficed to find the nest — not very carefully concealed 

 amongst some nettles at the foot of a small birch tree. 

 The nest consisted of a hollow in the ground, thickly lined 

 with down from the parent's body, mixed with small pieces 

 of dead nettle stems and dry grass, these latter materials 

 being sparingly used, and conveying the impression that 

 their presence was more or less accidental. The nest con- 

 tained nine cream - coloured eggs, which I immediately 

 imagined could be no other than Wigeon's ; but, being under 

 the impression that this bird did not breed in England, I 

 dismissed the idea as preposterous. As, however, if not 

 a Wigeon's, I could not determine the species to which the 

 nest belonged, I concealed myself, and after a short wait 

 had the pleasure of seeing the parent return, accompanied 

 by the male bird, and was able to see, beyond any doubt, 

 that they were Wigeon. My delight at this unexpected 

 verification of my surmise only an ardent ornithologist 

 can conceive, and I lost no time in getting the camera to 

 work, the result being two pictures — one of which is here 

 reproduced. On .June 2nd I was fortunate enough to find a 



second nest of the same species, containing nine younc 

 ones, near the same place. As the locality was not far 

 from the private lake of a gentleman who keeps a large 

 number of waterfowl of various species, I took the first 

 opportunity of inquiring if there was any probability of the 

 parents having strayed from his place ; and was informed 



that although his birds were pinioned, frequently their 

 progeny escaped in the spring, and that, very possibly, 

 those I had found were some of the home-bred birds. At 

 the same time, during the winter months, the lake and 

 adjacent river are %isited by very large numbers of perfectly 

 wild birds, most of which leave in the spring ; but it is 

 possible that one or two pairs, attracted by their pinioned 

 companions, suitable surroundings, freedom from molesta- 

 tion, and a plentiful food supply, may have stayed to 

 breed. — Wm. J. Clarke, Scarborough. 



[The Wigeon breeds in the North of Scotland, and in a 

 few places in Ireland, but it has never yet been known to 

 breed in a wild state in England. Mr. Clarke's note is of 

 great interest, since it proves that the nest of this bird 

 may now be looked out for in England, with a fair possi- 

 bility of success. It is unfortunate that semi-domesticated 

 birds were in the vicinity ; and taking this into considera- 

 tion, it is impossible to accept these birds as truly wild 

 ones, and, on this evidence, to add the Wigeon to the birds 

 which breed in England. — H. F. W.] 



Hoopoe in Sdssex. — An immature female Hoopoe was 

 shot in the Paternoster Wood, Hartfield, Sussex, on 

 December 14th. I cannot find that one has ever been 

 recorded so late in the year before ; and as they have been 

 known to breed in the southern counties, is it possible the 

 bird is a native and not a migrant '? — Emma L. Turneb, 

 December 25th, 1897. 



[The Hoopoe occasionally visits us in winter. If the 

 Hoopoe were not so persistently persecuted it would, 

 without doubt, become a regular breeding species in 

 England ; but it is never likely to stay here during the 

 winter.— H. F. W.] 



Early Nesting of Birds. — An interesting effect of the 

 continued mildness of the weather this season has been the 

 extraordinary fact that several birds have been observed 

 with nests and eggs in December. In the FieW we find 

 records of Wild Ducks with nests and eggs in the middle of 

 December, and a Robin with a nest and egg on Decem- 

 ber 16th. 



On Si/brids between the Capercailye and the Pheasant. By W. 

 Eagle Clarke [The Annals of Scottish Xfatural llUtory. .Tanuary, 

 1898, pp. 17-21 ). — The fourth example of this curious livbrid is here 

 recorded and described. The bird, which is a male, was obtained in 

 September last at StronchuUin, Blairmore, south-east Argyllshire, 

 where it had been observed for eighteen months, and was sent to Mr. 

 Ilarvie-Brown by Mr. G. H. Black. The author also describes and 

 ijives the history of the other three examples known to science. 



Rose-coloured Pastor in West Soss-shire {Annals of Scottish 

 Xntiiral Historii, January, 1898, p. 49). — A bird of this species is 

 ii'corded by J. A. Fowler as having been obtained on August 16th, 

 1 !S97, at Inverbroom. 



Sabine's Oull in Arran (Annals of Scottish Natural Histori/, 

 •Tanuary, 1898, p. 52). — John Pat.erson records the capture of an 

 immature specimen of this bird on the shore at Sliddery, Arran, on 

 September 22nd, 1897. 



Montai/u's Harrier breeding in Ireland. — CoEBECTlON. (The 

 Zoologist, January 15th, 1898, p. 24.)— Mr. John H. Teesdale, 

 who reported the shooting of a specimen of this bird from a party of 

 six in County Kerry (see Knowledge, November, 1897, p. 257), now 

 writes to The Zoolo(,ist that, after further examination, Dr. Sharpe 

 has pronounced the bird to be a young male of the Hen Harrier. 



Pectoral Sandpiper in Norfolk-. {The Zoologist, January, 1898, 

 p. 25.) — An adult female of this species is recorded by J. L. 

 Xewiuan as having been procured on Breydon, Norfolk, on August 

 iNth, 1897. 



The Red-crested Pochard (Fuligiila rufina) in Westmoreland {Ibis, 

 January, 1898, p. 176). — The Rev. H. A. Macpherson wi-itos that an 

 immature male of this species was shot in a small tarn in the neigh- 

 bourliood of Haweswater, Westmoreland, on the 9th of October. 1897. 



All contribiUions to the column, either in the way of notes 

 or photographs, should be forwarded to Hakry F. Witelkrby, 

 at 1, Eliot Place, Blachheath, Kent. 



Note. — The first issue of Knowledge containing British Ornitho- 

 logical Notes was that for October, 1897. 



