A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE 



of that city, for preservation. It is now in the 

 collection of the writer. Several other occur- 

 rences of this grebe on the Avon are on 

 record, all of which are in winter plumage. 



201. Slavonian Grebe. Podicipes auritus 



(Linn.). 



This, as an autumn and winter visitor to 

 our streams, is rather more frequent than either 

 the crested or red-necked grebe. I have seen 

 and examined specimens in winter plumage 

 from the Severn, the Avon and the Arrow ; 

 but it is not mentioned by Hastings. 



In its highly-ornamental and richly-coloured 

 summer dress it is very rare, but two, male 

 and female, in perfect breeding plumage, were 

 ruthlessly shot at Wootton Warren some years 

 ago, after they had commenced building a 

 nest. They were sent for preservation to 

 John Spicer of Warwick, where I saw them. 

 Wootton Warren I would observe, though in 

 Warwickshire, is only a mile from Oldberrow 

 in Worcestershire. 



202. Eared Grebe. Podicipes nigricollii 



(Brehm). 

 A few instances of the occurrences of this 

 grebe on the Avon in winter plumage have 

 come to my knowledge ; and a most beautiful 

 specimen in full summer dress was killed some 

 years since at Wootton Warren, and sent to 

 John Spicer of Warwick to be stuffed, in 

 whose hands I saw it. 



203. Little Grebe or Dabchick. Podicipes 



fluviatilis (Tunstall). 

 From the frequent appearance of this almost 

 everywhere common bird in the Worcester- 

 shire streams and other waters, it might be 

 expected that the nest would be often seen. 

 Yet it is not so, for indeed it is but rarely 

 found. I have never seen or heard of a nest 

 on the Avon or its feeders, though I have an 

 immature but full-grown young one which 

 was taken in a net on the Arrow near Alces- 

 ter. Mr. W. Edwards, of Malvern, has been 

 more fortunate, and reports of the little grebe 

 that it is 'common on New Pool, where it 

 breeds.' 



204. Storm-Petrel. Procellaria pelagica, Linn. 

 This is another storm-driven straggler with 



us, and is of very rare occurrence. Three 



times only has it come within the knowledge 

 of the writer during a period of more than 

 fifty years. One was taken in the streets of 

 Worcester, where it appeared on the wing. 

 Another near Alcester, Warwickshire, also on 

 the wing ; and the third was in the same 

 county at Wormleighton, where it was first 

 observed flying about. In no instance has it 

 been found dead. 



205. Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel. Oceanodroma 



leucorrhoa (Vieillot). 

 Unlike the last-named species, the present 

 bird has occurred not very infrequently in 

 Worcestershire and in the adjoining counties, 

 and in every instance has been found dead, 

 generally after heavy gales from the south- 

 west. I have the records of more than a 

 dozen specimens which have been picked up 

 dead in or near the valley of the Avon. The 

 latest county record is of one at Alfrick in 

 November, 1899. 



206. Manx Shearwater. Puffinus anglorum 



(Temminck). 

 This is one of the storm-driven castaways 

 which are sometimes picked up exhausted after 

 high winds in the autumn. Several are on 

 record in the valley of the Avon. One was 

 taken alive and unhurt in a field of wheat 

 which was in stook (locally ' shuck ') at Lit- 

 tleton, on August 27th, 1 89 1. Another 

 had been similarly taken, also in a field of 

 wheat in shuck, in the same month, August, 

 1888, near Stratford-on-Avon. It was sup- 

 posed that in both these instances the birds 

 had been driven forcibly against the shucks of 

 wheat, and had fallen to the ground. Some 

 other occurrences of this seafaring bird having 

 been found exhausted either in or near our 

 county are on record. 



207. Fulmar. Fulmarus glacialis (Linn.) 

 Hastings in a note gives the following 



respecting the fulmar : 'The fulmar,' says 

 Mrs. Perrott, in a communication to our 

 society, ' was found near the village of Hill, 

 much exhausted, but from the kindness of a 

 neighbour was kept alive to be forwarded to 

 me. Unfortunately, the lad to whom it was 

 entrusted, on receiving a bite from the bird, 

 killed it. I however made a sketch.' 



