Pcich : Xofcs oil Iloldcnicss Ji/nls. 37 



first instalment, consistini;- of ^2 pa^^es, with records ol j6i 

 species (X/dii/ariii to Mycciui) is ready for distribution. It may 

 be obtained by non-members from the Secretary o^ the Union, 

 price IS. 3d. net. 



NOTES ON HOLDERNESS BIRDS. 



T. I'ETCH, B.Sc. B.A., 

 JJedon. Hull. 



Although a complete list of the birds which have occurred in 

 Holderness would be almost a catalogue of all the British 

 species, it would be very misleading- to describe the district as 

 a favourable one for ornithological observation, [-"or the study of 

 bird-mig-ration Spurn is unrivalled, and our list has been swollen 

 bv the accidental occurrence of rare visitors there, but our resi*- 

 dent species are few, and the summer visitors, which land in 

 such large numbers upon the coast, hasten awa_\- inland, and 

 seldom remain to breed east of Hull. Thus, in the summer, if 

 we except Spurn and Hornsea Mere, there are few localities in 

 which we can be certain of finding' any but the commonest 

 species. In the winter, however, the district is at its best : 

 waders of all kinds frequent the H umber lands, ducks abound 

 on the numerous carrs, and there is always the possibility of 

 flushing- a rare bird tVom even the most unpromising- locality. 

 This element of chance constitutes the chief charm of Holder- 

 ness, and the hope of meeting- some species new to the observer 

 stimulates him to tramp abroad in all weathers, and lig-htens 

 many an otherwise monotonous walk. 



Of our summer visitors the warblers form the least repre- 

 sented g-roup. The Whitethroat and the Sedg^e Warbler are 

 abundant, and the Reed Warbler is common on Hornsea Mere, 

 thoug-h apparentl}- absent from our other reed beds, but the 

 Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, and Garden Warbler do not 

 nest with us, though the last-named crosses Skirlaugh on its 

 autumn migration. Again, of the W^ood Wren, Chiffchafif, and 

 Willow-Wren, we have only the last — the ' Bank Wren ' of 

 the country boys — making the family at least numerically well 

 represented. 



Our chief songsters, then, are the Blackbirds and Thrushes, 

 and when these are in full song there is no lack of melody : 

 indeed, 1 often think that in Holderness these sing better than 

 elsewhere, and I have frequently heard a snatch o\' Blackbird 



1903 February i. 



