42 Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union: Annual Report, 1910. 
flock of Fieldfares, Bempton, 22nd May, which appears late, 
considering that the winter in Scandinavia was unusually mild. 
Some early birds nested sooner than usual, viz., Thrush, 
young, 21st March, with contour feathers sprouting, and many 
others laying and building. Blackbird, four eggs on Ist April. 
The Long-eared Owl nested much later than in 1909. Scarcely 
any had commenced in March, and first eggs were generally 
plentiful during the first week of April; some as late as the roth 
April. The clutches were generally three eggs, sometimes only 
one or two, though in two instances five eggs were observed. 
The Tawny Owl was scarce and late. 
Barn Owl scarce and clutches small. 
The scarcity of voles as compared with 1909 seems to have 
been the controlling factor, but though reproduction was retarded, 
some birds laid full clutches. 
The March sunshine seems to have stimulated the Rooks, 
which, in one instance at least, only commenced building on 4th 
to 5th March, and a month later had generally hard-sat eggs, and 
young. Clutches generally were full, with a preponderance of five 
and four eggs. On the 1st May I observed Rooks feeding in flocks 
at Broomfleet. 
The Peewits commenced laying in March, and had no set- 
back. 
Mistle Thrushes were well on the way with nesting operations 
early in April. . 
Magpies and Carrion Crows were well up to date, and pro- 
duced full clutches. Two clutches of six each were observed in 
Holderness. 
The Waders generally were earlier than usual. On the 6th 
of April a large flock of Golden Plover was seen in Holderness, 
when the North Yorkshire birds had been on their breeding ground 
about eleven days. 
The cold and wet spring retarded the nesting operations of 
the Warblers, which generally were below the average in numbers, 
and late in laying. 
The Spotted Flycatcher was scarce as compared with 1909. 
House Martins were unusually numerous, which suggests- 
the query as to whether these birds stay further south to breed 
in the case of an abnormally cold spring. 
On the 16th July, a Corncrake sitting on nine eggs was. 
mown out at Bempton. The bird sat on under the swathe after 
the machine had passed over it, and added to the nest from the 
cut grass. This species shows no increase in numbers in Hull and 
district. 
The Turtle Dove maintains its advance over the eastern 
part of the county, and is extending nearer to Hull. 
Wild Pheasants had a good year. 
Partridges have been simply wiped out in most parts of 
Naturalist, 
