354 
REPORTED NESTING OF THE WHITE WAGTAIL 
IN YORKSHIRE. 
H. B. BOOTH, M.B.O.U., F.Z.S. 
For several years I have been looking forward to being able 
to report the nesting of this species in the West Riding, and 
more particularly from this dale in which I live (Wharfedale). 
T have also drawn the attention of my friends who are ornith- 
ologically inclined to keep a sharp look-out for the same 
possibility. Anyone who has the leisure to regularly patrol 
a few miles of our river banks during the months of April and 
May is almost certain to come across one or more White 
Wagtails. I have even seen single males on March 30th 
and 31st respectively in different years. But most of these 
birds are merely passing immigrants; although on several 
occasions, I have watched White Wagtails that I believed had 
the intention of—or were actually—nesting here. To quote 
just a few instances that occur, at random. About half a 
dozen years ago, a party of three males and two females 
regularly frequented a portion of the Wharfe close to Ben 
Rhydding to my knowledge for eighteen days, until the end 
of April—after which I could not find any trace of them. On 
another occasion, I watched a male White Wagtail for over an 
hour just above Grassington in the same dale, in May, which 
I felt sure had a sitting female; but I was unable to locate 
the nest, and I had to hurry away to catch the last train. 
Pressure of business prevented my re-visiting the spot that 
year, and several of my friends to whom I mentioned the 
occurrence, were unable to go to continue che investigation. 
Yet I feel sure that had any fairly good ornithologist been 
able to have spent a few hours there during the period of the 
feeding of the young, he would have been able to add a new 
nesting species of bird to the Yorkshire list. This year, I 
watched a single male for a considerable time on April 26th 
at Bolton Abbey, (ante. p. 267). It disappeared, but my 
friend, Mr. E. P. Butterfield, wrote me later thac he had watched 
with field glasses, a male White Wagtail in Bolton Woods, 
about two miles further up the river on May 22nd. This 
may, or may not, have been the same bird ; but, unfortunately, 
he had not the time at his disposal to prove whether it was 
nesting there. There are several other instances that I could 
relate in which it might almost be presumed that it was 
nesting here; but actually, the fact has still to be recorded. 
The current number of The Zoologist, (Sept. pp. 358-9), reports 
the nesting of the White Wagtail on the northern side of 
Scarborough this year, but I am afraid that this record will 
have to be received with a very large mark of interrogation. 
Naturalist, ~ 
