34 Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union: Annual Report, 1915. 
appeals have been issued in the local press to landowners and 
farmers, to protect them. 
NorTH RIDING REporT.—Mr. T. H. Nelson writes :—The 
opportunities for observation along the northern coastline have 
been considerably curtailed. Ducks and wildfowl generally 
were very plentiful in the marshes, where they were secure from 
harm. I have never seen so many ducks, nor in such a state of 
fearlessness as throughout last winter. During the spring 
nesting has been fairly successful, and young shore birds and 
other fowl were reported by the middle of July. Terns of three 
species (Sandwich, Arctic, and Lesser), were off the coast before 
the end of that month. 
WEsT RIDING REporT.—Mr. H. B. Booth writes :—In the 
spring immigration it is confirmed beyond doubt that for the 
past two or three years large numbers of Swifts have arrived 
considerably earlier than formerly — numbers being reported 
in various places on May Ist or 2nd—or even, in one or two 
instances, on April 30th. The Pied Flycatcher has returned to 
Bolton Woods this year almost in greater numbers than ever 
known before. Mr. W. H. Parkin and his friends have again 
paid special attention to the nesting habits of the Cuckoo. 
Mr. E. P. Butterfield has recorded the finding of a blue egg of 
the Cuckoo in a Hedge-sparrow’s nest in Bingley Wood. This 
is the first known record of the Hedge-sparrow as foster parent 
in this district, although it has occurred further south in this 
Riding. The blue egg of the Cuckoo is uncommon in Great 
Britain. When this egg was examined with a lens very faint 
spots were discernible. 
A new heronry has become established at Hubberholme (see 
The Naturalist 1915, p. 301). Mr. Parkin reports that there 
were nine Herons’ nests, and another one being built, on 
April 26th, in the Wood near to Eshton Hall. Special attention 
has been paid to the nesting habits of a pair of Grasshopper 
Warblers by Mr.Sam Longbottom, which has certainly increased 
our knowledge of the habits and nidification of this species in 
Great Britain, an account of which will appear later in The 
Naturalist. There appears to be good evidence that two or 
three pairs of Short-eared Owls have nested on one of our Upper 
Wharfedale Moors during the last year ortwo. Mr. A. Whitaker 
reports that two pairs of Long-eared Owls have nested on 
the ground amongst bracken in clearings amongst Scotch Pine 
trees near Barnsley, an unusual situation. The Redshank is. 
very slowly but surely increasing in numbers and in distribution 
as anesting species. Most species of birds have had a successful 
nesting season—including game-birds, although less game- 
keeping and artificial rearing has been resorted to. Mr. Rosse 
Butterfield reports that Mr. J. Bartle informs him that the 
Naturalist, 
