*5o 



NOTES on BIRDS. 



Great Crested Grebes and Shelducks on the Wharfe.— On the 



22nd February I saw a pair of Great Crested Grebes {Podiceps cristatus) on 

 the River Wharfe, near Woodhall Bridge. 



I was told by a person that, near the same place, he had seen a pair of 

 birds which, according to his description, were Shelducks {Tadorna 

 tadorna). — K. McLean, Harrogate, 23rd February 1901. 



Boldness of a Peregrine.— On Whit-Monday, 4th June 1900, whilst 

 spending the day botanising on and about Cronkley Fell, Teesdale, I had 

 an interesting though rather startling adventure with a Peregrine [Falco 

 peregrinus). Under the famous 'Scars' I was spending some time writing 

 notes, when I became aware that my presence (so near their nest and 

 probably young) was giving great annoyance to a pair of these birds, 

 which continued to make wide sweeps out from the higher rocks, answering 

 each other with angry calls, and with every circle becoming much bolder, 

 and their downward flight more strikingly swift. They eventually ceased 

 for a time, but suddenly, before I was aware, round a projecting cliff on my 

 left swooped a grand Peregrine to within a yard of my head. She (for it 

 was most probably the female bird) seemed exceedingly angry, and with 

 wings and tail outspread screamed wildly and swept round above me, then 

 sought foothold in the precipitous cliffs. She was evidently alarmed at 

 her own near approach, for she disappeared almost immediately with as 

 great rapidity, and I neither saw nor heard more of her. I had no idea 

 the Peregrine would venture an attack on a human being, even in the 

 breeding season, and can find no record of one ever doing so. — Joseph F. 

 Pickard, Leeds, 22nd January 1901. 



Great Northern Diver in Cheshire. — The visits of this species 



(Colymbus glacialis) to the Cheshire meres are sufficiently infrequent to 

 make the occurrence of two examples in January last worthy of note. On 

 New Year's Day I spent some hours watching- the wildfowl on Budworth 

 Mere, near Northwich. Besides the Mallards (Anas boschas), Tufted Ducks 

 (Fidigula fuligula), and Pochards (F. ferina) there were unusual numbers 

 of Great Crested Grebes [Podiceps cristatus) on the water — I counted 

 twenty-eight from one spot, and saw between forty and fifty of these hand- 

 some birds altogether. Of greater interest, however, than any of these 

 was a Great Northern Diver. When I first saw the bird it was stationary, 

 a few yards from the bank, but on my approach it drew out into deeper 

 water. During- the next few hours I got close to it several times, and was 

 able to see something of its actions. It kept severely to itself, not 

 associating with the Grebes or Ducks, although it often passed some of 

 them at close quarters in swimming from one part of the water to another. 

 Even at a distance it was easily distinguished from the Grebes by its 

 superior size and the fact that it swam higher in the water, carrying its less 

 slender neck bent and not erect. Many of the bird's actions, on the other 

 hand, were very Grebe-like. It dived in the same clean fashion, and 

 often careened on the water to preen itself, displaying the silver-white 

 plumage of its belly and underparts. Occasionally, too, it protruded and 

 wagged a leg above its back ; and at times swam for a few feet with neck 

 outstretched and laid on the water. When diving it usually remained 

 below the surface for about half a minute. On the next day, Mr. T. A. 

 Coward watched the bird, and the gamekeeper saw it daily until the 5th, 

 when it disappeared. 



On the 20th of the month Mr. F. S. Graves called my attention to 

 a second Great Northern Diver on the mere in Alderley Park. This bird 

 was whiter on the sides of the face and neck than the one I had seen at 

 Budworth, and was much wilder, diving and traversing- a considerable 

 distance under water whenever we tried to approach it. It was seen on 

 the mere for several days afterwards, and there is every reason to believe 

 that it got away without being molested. — Chas. Oldham, Knutsford, nth 

 March 1901. 



Naturalist. 



