Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union : Annual Report , 1921. 37 
The breeding of the Owls is again normal, field mice and voles being 
plentiful. A Barn Owl was seen brooding five eggs in the same hollow 
as a Jackdaw sitting on five eggs. Ring Doves were nesting on 1st 
April, and the breeding season extended to September. Migrants arrived 
at the average dates, apparently unaffected by the ususual amount of 
sunshine, with the exception of the Spotted Flycatcher, which arrived 
on 30th April, about a fortnight earlier than usual, and was generally 
double brooded. The birds, however, were scarcer than last year, many 
old haunts being unoccupied. The Cuckoo arrived on 6th April. A 
Skylark with young was observed on 26th April, a Tree-creeper with 
young on 8th May. Among the Finches the breeding date was markedly 
early. Greenfinches were nesting by 10th April, but the most abnormal 
effect was observed in the Goldfinch, generally a late May breeder here- 
abouts. This season the birds were building on 1st May; eggs were 
observed on 7th May, and the young flew from the nest on 28th May, 
when in an average season the birds would be commencing to sit. 
Whether owing to the prevention of netting, or the abundant crop of 
weeds produced during the war, and after, the species shows a most 
wonderful increase all over the East Riding, having nested in localities 
where it has not been seen before, rearing always two broods, and in one 
authenticated instance three broods, the last clutch of eggs being com- 
pleted on 23rd August. The Swallows and Martins show puzzling 
discrepancies. In some districts Swallows are up to the 1920 numbers, 
and in others distinctly scarce. The House Martin is decidedly below 
the average. Swifts arrived early, and show no diminution. Evidently 
some adverse influence is at work among the Swallows/which, up to 1919, 
were increasing. Generally they have been double brooded, but no 
third broods were observed, and all disappeared in good time. The 
Whinchat shows no further decrease. Corncrake — 12 pairs were recorded 
for the district, most of them in fields where they would be mown out. 
The Goldcrest is now back again in all its old haunts, but not in pre-war 
inumbers. The Spurn watcher reports that the period of incubation was 
sensibly shortened owing to the warm sunny weather. Razor Bills were 
laying at Bempton in April. Grey Crows were about the Spurn promon- 
tory and in Lincolnshire all the summer. The Little Owl has extended 
its breeding range to Driffield this year. There is a poor report of the 
Stone Curlew on the Wolds this year. The bird appears to be decreasing. 
A Quail was shot at Ganton first week of September, 1921. A Reeve 
was shot in the Lambwath 8th October, 1920. A Marsh Harrier female, 
immature, was shot on Cliffe Warren in November, 1920. A Little Stint 
was seen at Bridlington on 8th January, 1921. A Bittern was seen 
on Hornsea Mere on nth January, 1921. Two pairs of Gadwall 
in Hornsea Mere on 9th June, 1921. Nine Dotterel at Kilham on 27th 
May, 1921. The Pink-footed Geese were at Broomfleet in the third 
week of March, 1921, and the first flock returned to the Humber on 28th 
August. At present there are thousands about the Humber area. On 
20th August a White Kittiwake was seen in Bridlington Bay by Mr. F. 
Boyes and Mr. T. Audas, and photographed by Mr. Sidney H. Smith 
3rd to 17th September. Among the Fulmars at Bempton this year were 
two which were changing the brown immature plumage of the upper 
parts for the French grey of maturity. Quite a good breeding stock of 
Partridges remained after last shooting season, but in spite of an ideal 
year, the usual fate befell the young broods in most of Holderness. In 
some localities it is a bumper year, but on the average coveys are small 
and sometimes only old birds visible, whilst quite a number of second 
Lroods have been seen. There seems to be some element always at 
work to destroy eggs or young in Holderness. Young Pheasants were 
seen as early as 8th May, but many eggs have been found deserted and 
unhatched, the dry weather apparently having made the membrane too 
leathery for the chicks to break through. 
1922 Jan. 1 
