2 CORDEAUX : HUMBER BIRD-NOTES FOR AUTUMN OF IS55. 



arrive. About one hundred were shot in the Spurn district in the 

 two days. On the Lincolnshire coast on the night of November 2nd 

 there was a strong arrival of ' cock ' with a north-east wind. The 

 following morning, Saturday, the 3rd, bags of twelve and a half and 

 fifteen couples were made. The Woodcock arriving in the ' great 

 flight' of November 2nd and 3rd appear to have been identical 

 with the small dark Scandinavian race. 



Eagle Owl ? (Bubo ? species). A large owl, said to be much the 

 largest ever observed at the Spurn, was seen several times in October, 

 on the sand-hills and warren, either sitting in the bents or in flight — 

 on the wing it is described as looking as big as one of the large 

 gulls. One informant spoke to its having horns or tufts of feathers 

 on the head. 



Nov. 10th. — Glaucous Gull (Larus glaua/s), an immature example 

 was shot near Kilnsea on the 10th, and a very fine adult on the 13th. 



Nov. 13th. — Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus). An adult 

 female was shot on the sea opposite to Kilnsea. 



Nov. 17th. — Large flights of old Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) with 

 blue rumps, Snow-Buntings (Plectrophanes nivalis), and Lapwing 

 ( Vanellus vulgaris) in enormous flocks, seen this day on the 

 Lincolnshire side of the Humber, were also observed at the Spurn. 



Nov. 20th. — Wind W., very strong, and occasional heavy squalls 

 of mixed rain, snow, and hail. Snow-buntings (Plectrophanes nivalis) 

 in very large numbers, thirty to two-hundred in a flock, flying up the 

 coast from N. to S., or in some cases coming directly in from the 

 sea. The flight contained a large proportion of old birds. Twites 

 (Linota flavirostris) in flocks, an example obtained had the rump 

 nearly as rich a crimson as in the spring. Stonechats (Pratincola 

 rubicola), both old birds and young of the year, were numerous on 

 the sand-dunes or perched on the level top of those storm-cut 

 hedges that you might almost walk upon, where each stunted branch 

 and twig seems to do its best to struggle landward. It is interesting 

 to find the Stonechat nested this year near Kilnsea beacon. 



Two male Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) were shot this 

 day, from a flock of forty, three miles south of Withernsea. They 

 were in exceedingly fine condition, one weighing a little over 12 oz., 

 the other just under 1 1 oz. All those parts of the head, neck, and 

 as far down as the narrow band of black-edged feathers on the chest, 

 which in the spring and summer are buff-coloured, are now of a 

 dark smoky grey. This colour is so deep that it almost kills or 

 conceals this narrow band of dark-tipped feathers. On the hind 

 neck, and the sides of the neck and the front throat, the orange- 

 colour continues, but is perhaps scarcely so bright. 



Naturalist, 



