239 
THE STORM AT TEESMOUTH ON JULY 2, 1914. 
T. H. NELSON, M.B.O.U., 
Redcar. 
Never within living memory has this district been visited by 
so remarkable a storm, nor one so disastrous to bird-life, as 
that which arose with startling suddenness and swept over the 
Teesmouth shortly after noon on 2nd July. A vivid and alarm- 
ing display of lightning heralded a cyclone of terrific violence,, 
accompanied by a heavy fall of hail, with large lumps of clear ice, 
and it was afterwards found that great havoc had been wrought 
Dead Gulls at Sandsend. 
amongst the seabirds in the Tees estuary, several hundreds 
being killed and washed up to high-tide mark. 
On visiting the scene next day, my wife and I saw the bodies 
of gulls scattered along the high-water line, and counted more 
than three hundred within a distance of a quarter of a mile 
near Redcar jetty, without taking into consideration those by 
the breakwater side. In some places they were in groups of 
from six to tw’enty, or more, and others had been driven against 
the jetty where they were partly buried in the sand. I was 
informed that a bogey load had been taken away by workmen, 
and many wounded birds had sought refuge amongst blocks 
1914 Aug. 1 . 
