Pvtch : \()/cs OH 1 loldcnicsx Hinls. 39 



of hawthorn bushes on the drain banks, often several feet 

 from the i^round, and many i:\{ those on Hornsea Mere occupy 

 a similar position, but it may be found, as in the Fens, amoni^st 

 reeds, at Kelsey Hill and Hornsea. There is a well-marked 

 variation, too, in the nest of the Sed§"e Warbler ; the majority 

 are slight structures of bents, lined with horsehair, but many 

 are strongly built of moss and hay, and lined with feathers or 

 reed-heads. In 1899 I found both forms at Kelsey Hill, the 

 former on the fen, and the latter amongst the grass at the top 

 of the cliff. 



Of our other summer visitors the Swift is local (Hornsea), 

 voung- Cuckoos are frequently seen at Aldborough in September, 

 Swallows (Hedon, i8th-20th April), and Sand Martins are 

 common and the House Martin is increasing. In 1900 a pair 

 of House Martins built their nest on a beam in a wagon shed at 

 Thorp Garth, Aldborough. They commenced to build about 

 four feet from the outer wall, but, evidently dissatisfied with 

 their position, moved along the beam towards the entrance, 

 leaving a horizontal line of clay two feet long-. The site finally 

 chosen was two feet horizontally and one and a half feet 

 vertically from the top of the entrance, exactly such as a 

 Swallow would choose ; the young birds had not left the nest 

 on 3rd September. On 5th September 1897 there were four 

 broods of Swallows at Aldborough, the members of three being 

 scarcely able to fly, and the fourth still in the nest ; a single 

 bird was seen at Sproatley, 5th November 1895. I have seen 

 the Woodlark once (Sproatley, 28th April 1900), and heard the 

 Grasshopper \yarbler near the same place, 6th May 1897. The 

 Ring Ouzel is seen at Aldborough on mig'ration in April, and 

 a Red-backed Shrike occurred there, 4th May 1898 ; the latter 

 has bred at Beverley and near Easington, but there is not much 

 hope of its becoming a reg'ular summer migrant when it meets 

 the fate of the last, which were allowed to bring oft" their 

 brood undisturbed in order that a case might be made oi the 

 whole family. 



Of our rarer residents, the Goldfinch — 'King Harry' or 

 ' Redcap' — nests in ever-diminishing numbers (Sproatley, 1893 ; 

 Hedon, 1893 and 1894), ^'""^^ '^ seen in farmyards in the winter; 

 the Bullfinch is very local, nesting chiefly near Burton Constable 

 (shot at Hedon, November 1889, March 1895 '■> Aldborough, 

 6th January 1899, December 1901) ; and the Tree Creeper is 

 rarely seen south of that place, though a single bird remained 

 all the summer in 1899 in the plantation on Cherry Cob Sands ; 



1903 February i. 



