The Zoologist — February, 1869. 1543 



Ornithological Notes from North Lincolnshire. 

 By John Cordeaux, Esq. 



(Contiuued from Zool. S. S. 1413.) 



November and December, 1868. 



Snow Bunting. — November 7. First observed ; several seen flying 

 over the "fiuie " land near the Humber. 



Tree Sparrow. — November 9. Amongst the many small birds now 

 found in the stubbles are several flocks of this species. One flock 

 which I find near the same place nearly every day numbers several 

 hundred birds. 



Shorteared Owl. — November 21. Put up one of these owls this 

 morning from some ploughed land in the marshes. It is the only one 

 I have seen this season. 



Woodcock.— Yi&\e been remarkably scarce; I have seen none, and 

 only heard of them as either shot or seen in the Humber district. 

 These birds have also, so I am informed,been remarkably scarce in Hol- 

 derness; very few have been exposed for sale in the Hull game-shops. 



Fieldfare. — November 4. First seen, but very scarce, except during 

 the last week in the month ; in this week thousands arrived in the 

 neighbourhood. On the 30th I observed more of these northern 

 thrushes than I have ever before seen at one time in any previous 

 season. Large flocks were constantly passing over from north to south 

 during several hours ; thousands were sitting grouped together on the 

 grass-land after the manner of golden plover, for which birds I at first 

 mistook them : many also of the detached hedges and solitary haw- 

 thorns swarmed with chattering crowds. I walked in the course of the 

 day, in company with a friend, over a great extent of marsh-land, and 

 everywhere saw large flocks ; they were scattered here and there by 

 hundreds and thousands over our marsh district. These birds were 

 exceedingly wild and wary, and getting within shot was out of the 

 question. These fieldfares were probably passing southward, as they 

 remained only a iew days in this district. Some large flocks, how- 

 ever, remain daily feasting on the abundant crop of haws, and wasting 

 much more than they eat. They roost at some distance from their 

 feeding-ground, in one of the small plantations near the " beck," con- 

 taining a dense undergrowth of reeds and aquatic plants, overtopped 

 by young larch and ash. I have often watched them between three 

 and four o'clock on a winter's afternoon, coming into this cover, flying 



