282 A few Notes on Birds on the Atbara in Soudan.


nor flanks so white as they become the following year. I do not

fancy they breed until two years old.


The photo, of the nest was taken by Mr. F. Barber-Starkey

in Norfolk in June last year.



A FEW NOTES ON BIRDS ON THE ATBARA IN


SOUDAN.


A short time ago I took up my residence on the River

Atbara, twenty-seven miles from its junction with the Nile. At

this time of year the river hardly exists, there remaining big

pools mostly connected by a trickle of water.


The birds are not numerous or noticeable. Sandgrouse

(.Pteroclurus exustus) are by far the most common, coming down

regularly every morning in thousands to drink. I have seen

numerous pairs of Pterocles quadricinctus in the wormscrub, and

shot one specimen of what I take to be Pleroclurus senegallus.

The most noticeable bird is the common Egyptian Goose (C.

(Egyptiacus), not on account of numbers but because of the noise

they make, both morning and evening when they come and sit

on the top of the broken-down palms and call. Two days ago

a pair brought off a brood on the pool above my camp, but I

am afraid the crocodiles will get them.


Demoiselle Cranes are fairly numerous, feeding amongst

the Donklin crops on the sandbanks : they are excellent eating.

At the moment of writing I can see a party of Teal and Shovel¬

lers in the shallow water opposite, accompanied by a solitary

Ruddy Sheldrake; while nearer to me are several Black-winged

Stilts (Himantopus himantopus ) and Ring Plovers (.AEgialitis

dubia), Scop Spurwing (Hoplopterus spinosus ) and Egyptian

Plovers (Pluvianus czgypticus), and one or two other similar birds

the names of which I do not know. Further away down stream

is a party of Adjutant Storks and a few Abdim Bey’s Storks

(. Abdimia abdimi ), and an Ibis, black all over, a patch of white at

base of bill. African River Eagles (Haliastus vocifer) are very

common, and a pair often comes and sits in the palms by my

camp during the day. On two occasions I have seen Bateleur



