58 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 

 Ornithological Notes from Windermere and Bingley — 



On Whit-Monday last, Mr. Soppitt and I were fortunate in finding two young 

 Woodcocks, apparently about a week old, in a plantation on the banks of 

 Windermere. 



It is with pleasure I record a second occurrence of the Hawfinch in this 

 district. It was seen flying about Manywells reservoir on several days in June, so 

 that it was very probably breeding. — E. P. P. Butterfield, Wilsden, near 

 Bingley, August ist, 1884. 



Early Appearance of the Snow-bunting in Northumber- 

 land. — A specimen of the Snow-bunting {Emberiza Jiivalis) was shot on this 

 coast on the 15th September. This is a very early date for this bird, the usual 

 time of arrival being from a fortnight to three weeks later. — H. T. Archer, 

 Newcastle-on-Tyne, September 20th, 1884. 



Curious Nesting-place for a Reed Bunting. — During the 



month of May this year, I found a nest of the above species built against the stem 

 of a small Austrian pine in one of our plantations, at least four feet from the 

 ground. I had observed the cock bird about, some days before I noticed the nest, 

 and subsequently had more than one good near view of the hen. The nest was built 

 of the ordinary materials, and, oddly enough, there were numbers of sites near 

 the tree which one would imagine were far more suitable for a Reed Buntings' 

 nest. — ^J. Backhouse, Jun., West Bank, Holgate, York. 



Peregrine Falcon in Northumberland.— a fine female Peregrine 



[Falco peregrinus) of the second year, was shot on the Simonside Hills of the 

 Cheviot range last week. — H. T. Archer, Newcastle-on-Tyne, September 15th, 

 1884. 



Orange-legged Hobby near Doncaster.— in the last week of April 



of this year, I had a fine female specimen of the Orange-legged Hobby {Falco 

 rufipes) sent to me in the flesh to be set up. It was shot in Wadworth Wood 

 near here, by the woodman, Mr. Clayton, and is perhaps worth recording. — A. 

 Paterson, Bird-stuffer, 25, Milton Street, Doncaster, September 6th, 1884. 



Green Sandpiper at Masham.— A party of Green Sandpipers 

 {Helodromas ochropus) passed here in the middle of August last, on their autumnal 

 migration. I saw one of these birds at Marfield Pond (a sheet of water much 

 frequented by wild-fowl), on the 15th, and another was seen feeding by the river- 

 side on the 19th. On the 21st, one was shot at a rapid stream on the Yore, near 

 Masham, and on the 24th a second specimen was shot on the edge of a small 

 horse-pond, about a mile and a half further down the river. We first noticed 

 these birds in this locality in 1880, when one was feeding on a sandbank by the 

 river-side, on August 15th ; none were seen in the two following years, but on the 

 1 6th of August, 1883, I flushed a bird from almost exactly the same spot. It is 

 remarkable how nearly the dates of the records for the three years correspond, 

 they being respectively the 15th, i6th, and 15th days of the same month. — Thomas 

 Carter, Burton House, Masham, near Bedale, September 2nd, 1884. 



Tufted Duck at RainWOrth, Notts.— During last December I shot 

 at a Tufted Duck. He was wounded, and settled on one of th^ lakes near here, 

 but though we tried for him he beat us ; and when next seen he appeared so 

 slightly wounded that it was decided to leave him as an attraction for others of his 

 kind. He never was able to fly, but in other respects seemed fairly well. In the 

 spring he was joined by a duck, but whether they bred I do not know. After being 

 from home for some time, I was much surprised to find when I returned that he 

 had not assumed summer plumage, which all the other males of his kind had. 

 He had lost his crest, but in all other respects was in as good plumage as 

 ducks are in the breeding season. Would so slight a wound occasion this? — 

 J. Whitaker, Rainworth Lodge, Mansfield, Notts., September loth, 1884. 



Naturalist, 



