52 Bolam: The Natural History of Hornsea Mere. 
Mere side did not arrive there till 12th May, on which date I 
noticed the first I had seen, in ‘ Armitage Field,’ on the north 
side of the Mere. A pair on the opposite side settled into their 
breeding quarters the same day, and by 20th May each breeding 
pair—perhaps half-a-dozen in all—had established itself where 
it intended nesting, and the cocks were in full song. 
YELLOW HamMeER.—Fairly numerous along the road sides, 
etc., but none nesting about the actual margins of Mere ; 
called ‘ Gouldies’ locally. 
REED Buntinc.—Numerous ; breeding in all the rough 
margins of the Mere. First young were fledged about the end 
of June and second nests began early in July. I photographed 
one sitting on four eggs in Heronry Swamp on 14th July; 
another found with one egg at Heslop’s reeds on 8th July, 
which, four days later, began to sit on 4 eggs. ' 
STARLING.—Abounds, to the detriment of woodpeckers and 
some other birds ; throughout the summer a few hundreds were 
nightly roosting in some of the reed-beds ; later in the year these 
become the resort of ‘ millions,’ as I was told by the natives. 
By ist July I estimated there might be 5,000 Starlings roosting 
in Heslop’s reeds, but they increased rapidly, and a few days 
later the number had certainly been doubled. Before I left 
(on 20th) there could hardly have been less than 50,000, I 
should think, though such sums in arithmetic are rather beyond 
me ! 
A pair nested and hatched two young in an ash tree in 
the park, im the same hole which at the time contained a White 
Owl’s nest and young one: the two sets of young being sepa- 
rated only some three feet from one another (but see account 
of White Owl, page 24). Others drove away our only nesting 
Green Woodpeckers. 
Jay.—Has been killed out, and is rarely seen in neighbourhood 
now. Thirty years ago it was not uncommon, Taylor tells me. 
MaGprie.—About Wassand itself has almost disappeared 
with the Jays, but several pairs breed on adjoining properties 
only a few miles off, and I saw an occasional passing bird. 
JACKDAW.—Would be very numerous if not kept rigorously 
under by Taylor. Tries to nest in every available tree, and 
odd broods get off. Many roost in the rookery. 
CARRION Crow.—Only kept down by constant killing. 
HoopEpD Crow.—Taylor shot one just before my arrival 
on 20th April. I saw one flying over the Mere on 21st. Com- 
mon in winter. 
Roox.—There is a large and increasing rookery in, Low 
Wood ; other groups of nests about the Hall, in ‘ the Gladiator 
Field,’ etc. 
Lark.—Numerous all round the Mere, breeds in the adjoin- 
ing fields. 
Naturalist,, 
