8i 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES 



FROM REDCAR AND TEES MOUTH 



For 1887 and 1888. 



T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., 

 Redcar. 



In continuation of my notes for 1886, 1 now beg to forward the result 

 of my observations during the past two seasons. The most noticeable 

 features of 1887 were the great abundance of waders, principally 

 Pigmy Curlews (Tringa subarquata), Little Stints (T. mimita), 

 Knots (T. canuius), and Grey Plovers (Squaiarola helvetica) in the 

 early autumn, and, later, the unusual numbers of Long-tailed Ducks 

 (Harelda glacialis) which frequented the sea off Redcar and the 

 Tees mouth. With regard to Pigmy Curlews and Little Stints, they 

 appear to have been noticed in many different places ; correspon- 

 dents of mine who were shooting on the coasts of Wales, Northum- 

 berland, South Yorkshire, and Norfolk, all commented on the large 

 numbers of these small shore-birds which were met with ; while as 

 for Long-tailed Ducks, the natural history columns of the ' Field ' 

 and the pages of the ' Zoologist ' testify that this usually uncommon 

 sea-duck has been noticed by different observers all round our 

 coasts. 



April 1 2th, 1887.— A white Guillemot (Lomvia iroile) was seen at 

 sea by several of the fishermen ; another Guillemot, with a white head, 

 probably the same bird, was reported on the 28th ; on the same 

 day many Gannets (Sulci bassana), in pairs, were flying S.E. 

 15th. — The first clutch of Ringed Plover's (ALgialitis hiaticula) eggs, 

 and on the 18th the first Redshank's (Totanus calidris) eggs, were 

 found on the neighbouring marshes. During April and May 

 several Manx Shearwaters (Puffinus anglorum), Great Northern and 

 Red-throated Divers (Coly tubus glacialis and C. septeutrionalis), and 

 large bodies of Razorbills (Alca torda), Guillemots (Lomvia troile), 

 and Puffins (Fratercula arctica) were observed at sea. A pair of 

 Sheldrakes (Tadorna cornuta) frequented the sands E. of Redcar all 

 the spring, and I saw four at the Tees mouth in May. If undisturbed 

 there is no doubt they would breed in some favourable spot on the 

 sand-hills. 



May 7th. — Mussell, the Middlesbrough taxidermist, had a female 

 Peregrine (Falco feregrinus), and a female Hen Harrier (Circus 

 cyaneus), which had been trapped at Egton Bridge, near Whitby, at 



March i88q. f 



