119 
ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM REDCAR 
for 1890-91. 
THOMAS H. NELSON, M.B.0.U., Ertc., 
Redcar. 
FOLLOWING up my notes for 1889-90, I now send my report for 
1890-91. The past season has been noticeable for two, what I may 
term, peculiar ornithological features, viz., in August and Sep- 
tember an unusually large flight of Pigmy Curlews, and, in the early 
part of the present year, most extraordinary quantities of Red-necked 
Grebes. With regard to the latter, I may state that since the 
memorable irruption of Skuas in 1879, there has not been any visit 
of sea-birds to equal it. One of the old fishermen, who is seventy- 
five years of age, and who used to be a shooter in his earlier days, 
told me that he did not remember ever having seen more than one 
or two Grebes in one day ; and, although I have shot most of the 
different kinds of sea-fowl to be found on-this coast, I have never 
had a chance of shooting a Grebe before. They are usually too 
wary to allow one to approach within range, but, as will be seen from 
my notes, they appeared in hundreds off Redcar in January and 
February, and I shot four in one afternoon. The most probable 
theory to account for this visitation is that, owing to the intense 
frost, all the lakes and streams on the Continent were frozen, and the 
Grebes were driven to the open sea and thence to our shores. Have 
any other readers of ‘The Naturalist’ remarked a similar increase of 
these birds in their localities? The occurrence of seven Wood Larks 
in January is also a noteworthy incident. 
1890. Marcu. The first Wheatears (Saxicola wnanthe) were 
seen on Coatham sand-hills on the 23rd. I noticed several small 
parties on the Redcar sand-hills on the 29th. 
PRIL. Ring Dotterels (Zgialitis hiaticula) commenced laying 
early : single eggs were found on the 4th. I saw seven new nests on 
the 6th ; a clutch of four eggs was taken on the roth. Great numbers 
of Gulls, chiefly Great and Lesser Black-backed (Larus marinus and 
t. uscus), flew past during a strong N. wind on the roth. I very much 
fear that the colony of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) at Kettle- 
ness is being broken up by the propinquity of the railway, which now 
Passes within a few yards of the cliffs. Two or three years ago 
there were about thirty pairs breeding, but last season I only saw one 
pair in several visits, and understand that they did not nest there. It is 
Probable they may have changed their quarters to some of the other 
April 1891. 
