267 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE EAST COAST 

 IN THE SPRmQ OF 1885. 



By JOHN CORDEAUX, 

 Great Cotes, Ulceby, Lincolnshire ; Convener of the British Association Committee 

 on the Migration of Birds. 



Mr. M. Bailey, of Flamborough, reports that on May 3rd, with a 

 N.E. wind, there was a large arrival of Pied Flycatchers {Muscicapa 

 atricapilla) and Redstarts {Riiticilla phoinicurns)^ both species on that 

 day being extremely numerous in the hedgerows and gardens on the 

 headland. The Redstarts observed were generally male birds in full 

 plumage. Last year (1884) there was a similar arrival about the 

 same period of Pied Flycatchers, and I was told they were so 

 numerous as to be seen sitting in rows on some of the low hedges. 

 The immigration of the two species together in the spring is interesting, 

 as the migration reports so far pubUshed indicate not unfrequently 

 a corresponding movement of the two on passage in the autumn 

 going on at the same dates, both across Heligoland and on the East 

 coast of England ; the migration of the Redstart, however, in 1884 

 commencing somewhat earlier and being prolonged to a later date. 



With reference to the large arrival of Pied Flycatchers at Flam- 

 borough, it is interesting to find that they occurred during the same 

 period — the first week in May — at Spurn. It was also observed in 

 Norfolk on the 9th. Mr. J. A., Harvie Brown, in a footnote, p. 100 

 of the Migration Report for i884-85, calls attention to the fact of an 

 extraordinary migration of the same species on the East coast of 

 Scotland, as observed at the Isle of May, Pentland Skerries, and 

 other stations in the first week in May. It thus appears that this 

 remarkable immigration covered in one broad front the East coast of 

 Great Britain between Norfolk and the Pentland Firth. 



An example of the Common Skua {Stercoi'cwiiis catarrhades) was 

 shot at the North Landing at Flamborough, in the latter part of 

 February or early in March of the present year. 



There were two small ^ trips ' of Dotterel {Eiidromias morinellus) 

 on my land near the Humber in May — seven on the 14th and five 

 on the T6th. These remained in the locality about three days. As 

 is usually the case, these pretty birds were very tame, and allowed 

 me to walk within a short distance before taking wing. This is 

 somewhat a late date for Dotterel to be seen in our marshes. The 

 old rule in North Lincolnshire is that they may be expected on the 

 high wolds in Lincoln April Fair week, namely, the last whole week 

 in April, moving into the sea-coast districts in the first week of May. 

 On the 19th I walked for several miles through what was formerly a 

 very famous spring haunt of the Dotterel near the Yorkshire coast, but 



July 1885. 



