NOTES FROM NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE. 85 



making their way to the south, the migration, as is the rule in 

 these cases, extending only a short distance inland. 



I saw the first Corn Crake on September 1st, wind N., and 

 blowing half-a-gale ; and on the 3rd a pair of Golden Plovers, old 

 birds, both of which I shot. Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, when at 

 Spurn, on September 6th, at 5.15 p.m., wind changing from N. 

 to S., saw an immense flock of Golden Plovers, extending at least 

 three or four miles, passing over Spurn from the Lincolnshire 

 coast northwards. In 1880 it was on August 22nd, in the same 

 locality, that my friend Major Seddon saw thousands of Golden 

 Plover passing north along the sea-shore in detached flocks, 

 flying in lines and arrow-heads. This large migration of 

 Golden Plover to the northwards, in two consecutive seasons, is 

 remarkable, as it is difficult to surmise where they started from. 



During the first week in September the Meadow Pipits were 

 migrating southward in large numbers, and continued to arrive 

 and depart at intervals all through the month. On the 13th 

 they were seen passing all day along the line of sand-dunes of 

 Spurn towards the south. 



There were young Knot on the Humber foreshore as early as 

 the first week in August, and at the same period three Grey 

 Plover were seen, old black-breasted birds. The young of the year 

 were very numerous on the flats at the end of the month and 

 early in September. On the 12th September seven old birds, four 

 males and two females (the other lost), were shot on the muds at 

 Kilnsea ; all were in beautiful summer plumage. 



On September 8th, in the evening, just at dusk, two Wood- 

 cocks, coming in from the sea, topped the embankment and 

 pitched into some standing barley, where, however, I did not find 

 them when looked for on the following morning, having most 

 probably passed inland. The Woodcock was first seen at Spurn 

 on the 4th September, and from that date to the end of October 

 arrived in a very desultory fashion, by twos and threes, and 

 not in the large flights which are characteristic of their ordinary 

 migration. Very few were seen at Heligoland, and not one before 

 November 30th. In the autumn migration Woodcocks strike the 

 whole of our east coast between North Eonaldshay in Orkney to 

 the South Foreland, the greater number always coming in 

 on the coasts of Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, south of 

 Flamborough. This bird is much less frequent in Shetland than 



