U368 The Zoologist — Novembkr, 1870. 



Notes on the Sea and Shore Birds of Aldehurgh. 

 By J. G. Tuck, Esq. 



July 23. Shot a lesser blackbacked gull, in full adult plumage ; 

 also, out of a small flock, a dunlin in full summer dress. The young 

 dunlins have already appeared on the coast. 



August 1. Shot the first snipe: some had been seen the previous 

 week. Met with a small flock of wood sandpipers to-day iu the 

 mere, and killed one ; three others fell to my gun during the next 

 fortnight: the, note of this bird is peculiar, somewhat resembling 

 that of its congener, the green sandpiper, but shriller : the two species 

 much resemble each other on the wing, but the wood sandpiper 

 may be recognized by its frequenting the most central part of 

 the mere, and generally rising in small flocks of six or eight, 

 whereas the green sandpiper is almost invariably found by the 

 edges of rivers or ditches, and it is an uncommon occurrence to 

 meet with more than a pair together : in this it resembles the 

 common sandpiper, which is common at Aldeburgh in the summer, 

 but does not breed there. 



August 3. A very fine green sandpiper, in perfect plumage, was 

 shot by a friend, and presented to me. 



August 6, Two more green sandpipers came into my possession, 

 one an immature bird, the other an old bird in very strong moult. 

 This day I obtained a very young razorbill auk, which was shot on 

 the river. 



August 15. This day I saw a small flock of greenshanks and 

 killed one. A gentleman staying in the town sliot a splendid adult 

 great crested grebe, while swimming in the .river close to Slaughden 

 Quay : it was beginning to assume the winter dress. 



August 24. Found a large flock of curlew sandpipers in the mere, 

 and killed several of them. All the specimens 1 obtained were 

 young: these birds have a strong fishy taste. 



August 26. The mere this morning was very full of different 

 species of waders. 1 procured the curlew sandpiper, the turnstone, 

 the knot and the bartailed godwit — all immaluve, except one knot, 

 which was in nearly full summer dress. 



August 29. A friend killed a young ruff and six curlew sand- 

 pipers at one shot. I picked up a very fine male turnstone dead 

 in the mere : the contrast between the adult male and the young, 

 which are plentiful, is very striking. 



