88 The Great Crested Grebe Enquiry and Census of 1931 . 
Hornsea Mere.’ T. H. Nelson states that in 1888 ' no fewer than six 
nests were observed.’ 1 George Bolam, who acted as bird watcher in 
1912, says that Taylor, the old gamekeeper there, told him that when 
he (Taylor) came in 1882 the Grebes had dwindled down to a pair or 
two, but by 1892, under his care, there were eight nests, or the record 
known until then ! But be that as it may, and with better protection 
afforded to them by the Wild Birds and Eggs Protection Acts Com- 
mittee of the Y.N.U., and with Taylor still the gamekeeper, in 1907 
there were only three pairs, and in 1908 I could not possibly see more 
than two pairs, but each were accompanied by young. In 1911 Mr. 
E. W. Wade informed me that in spite of protection there were only 
three pairs of Great Crested Grebes on the Mere in 1910 and 1911. 
Until then we had only employed a part-time bird watcher. But 
owing to the Bearded Tits having been released by Mr. W. H. St. Qu intin, 
it was decided to engage a full-time watcher, and my friend George 
Bolam was engaged — I am afraid not at a living wage — but still it was 
all that we, the subscribers to the fund (for never a penny of the Y.N.U. 
finances has been taken), could afford. The Grebes appeared to benefit 
by a full-time watcher, and also by full-time recording for, obviously, 
a man who is there each day for thirteen weeks knows more than a man 
who makes a flying visit for a day or for half a day. Either due to his 
full-time watching, or more accurate recording, or both, Mr. Bolam 
reported six, or possibly seven, pairs of Great Crested Grebes in 1912 
at Hornsea Mere, which was more satisfactory to our subscribers. 2 
From then onward, until and including 1926, there were usually 
about four pairs of Great Crested Grebes present — never less than three 
and never” more than six pairs. In the meantime the number of Coots 
on the Mere had increased out of all proportion. Those members who 
were present at the Y.N.U. May excursion in 1926, and who were 
privileged to go in the boat, can never forget the sight of such great 
numbers of Coots that took to the air as the boat approached the Wassand 
end. They passed over us in great clouds. In January, 1927, the Coots 
were very severely shot down. An increase in the number of Great 
Crested Grebes immediately commenced, and ten pairs were counted by 
the watcher during the nesting seasons of 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932, 
which appears to be about the maximum number that Hornsea Mere 
can carry. 
The North Riding. 
Neither Clarke and Roebuck nor T. H. Nelson make any allusion 
to nesting sites in this Riding. But, as a schoolboy at York, I know 
that it nested on pools on Strensall Common, before it was drained for 
military purposes. In fact, it was here that I had my first introduction 
to this fine bird, I believe first in the year 1880, but certainly in 1881, 
as I saw it two years in succession, but never more than one pair at a 
time. I never succeeded in finding its eggs, and I had not then any idea 
what its empty nest was like and may quite easily have passed it amongst 
the several empty nests of water birds and Black-headed Gulls ; which 
latter birds were just being exterminated there, as never an egg was 
allowed to hatch — it was a Very keen ‘ egging ’ spot in those days. 
But I have seen two clutches of Great Crested Grebe’s eggs, at the least, 
that were taken on Strensall Common. I also had the pleasure of seeing 
these extraordinary birds in the air there, which I have only on rare 
occasions seen since. 
The pools were very shallow, only about knee-deep, and contained 
many leeches. We were told that they were Horse Leeches, but although 
I cannot speak for the species, I can vouch for it that they were very 
1 Birds of Yorkshire, p. 739. 
2 The Naturalist, 1913, p. 67. 
The Naturalist 
