ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 453 



September 1st. — Partridge-shooting did not open to-day, the 

 harvest not being far enough advanced. Swifts here, and 

 screaming, high up, at evening. 



2nd. — Some Swifts ; their late stay is remarkable. 



4th. — Several Whimbrel heard passing at night ; a still 

 cloudy night, moon big. 



7th. — When on the high ground near Tadmarton Heath I 

 saw an adult Herring-Gull, which flew past rather low down 

 against the fresh W.S.W. breeze. 



8th. — Evidently a very bad Partridge year ; on a very small 

 beat which has yielded ere this eight or nine brace in a day, we 

 saw to-day only three old birds. Probably most of the birds 

 deserted their nests in the terrible spell of wet cold weather, 

 June 13th-16fch, and it is probable that many old ones died. 



10th. — A destructive gale at night from S.W., and three- 

 quarters of an inch of rain. 



11th. — A great many Mistle-Thrushes on Bloxham Grove — a 

 flock of about thirty in some potatoes. 



15th. — An unusual number of Mistle-Thrushes in the fields. 



16th.— Only 45° at 9.30 a.m. 



17th. — Flocks of Meadow-Pipits, and many Mistle-Thrushes. 



23rd. — Owls very noisy at night lately. Besides the numerous 

 Brown Owls, I hear occasionally the Barn-Owl, which seems 

 more common this year than it has been lately. 



24th. — Chiffchaff has sung for some days. I do not think 

 any Swallows and Martins have gone yet, but the congregations 

 on the roof on one or two mornings lately have been very small 

 compared with those in some years. 



25th. — Sixteen Partridges killed at Milcombe comprised eleven 

 old and five poor young birds. We got two Land-Bails in tall 

 weedy Dutch clover on high ground ; this is late. Five were 

 killed near Hook Norton on the 9th, and some were seen at 

 Milcombe when barley was cut. All these must be passing 

 migrants. Some Pipits to-day. The fresh skin of a young 

 Dotterel was brought to me by a friend, who shot it on the 

 22nd as it flew over his head in a turnip-field at Sibford ; this is 

 the only local Dotterel I ever handled. Seven and five Snipe 

 have been shot near the mouth of the Sorbrook, and Mr. E. 

 Colegrave saw one as early as the end of July. 



