Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/160

132 2nd.—W.Manx Shearwater at Heacham (R. Clarke).

3rd.—Scarcely any wind. A Bluethroat and some Pied Flycatchers seen, and some 250 Gannets at sea (R. Gurney). Two Quails at Pulham Market (T. Southwell).

4th.— Wind W.[In Lincolnshire E., cf. Zool. 1896, p. 436, Phylloscopus viridanus.] Going out after dark Mr. Patterson found the weather very unsettled and wet; while from the mingled cries of Grey Plover, Godwits, Knots, and Dunlin overhead, he judged the air to be alive with birds of the wader class, probably attracted by the lights of Yarmouth. When the street-lamps are put out and daylight dawns the spell is broken.

5th.—Wind S., strong. A Gull-billed Tern almost in winter plumage—an adult bird—having the top of the head nearly white, with darker nape and a black forehead, was shot on Breydon Broad, and submitted to Mr. Southwell in the flesh. I imagine that this summer visitor, which doubtless bred in Montagu's time in England, has not been obtained in this garb before; it is certainly less of a sea-loving species than the Sandwich Tern. Mr. R. Gurney met with a Dotterel in the speckled immature plumage, and Mr. Arnold with a Grey Plover (a species which has been rather numerous) still nearly in breeding plumage. Twelve Grey Plovers and four Corncrakes on a stall at Yarmouth (Patterson).

6th.—E.A Bluethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, and a good many Redstarts, which had probably crossed in the night, noticed by Mr. Gunn in the scrub, a few hundred yards from the sea.

7th.—E.Seven Wagtails and nine Chaffinches passed the 'Dudgeon' light-vessel, intending probably to make the shore at Wells (E. Cole, master). Mr. R. Gurney obtained an Icterine Warbler, which had probably only arrived on the beach a few hours before, as in passing the same small bushes in the morning we had not noticed it there. Length 5¼ in. to tip of beak; weight ½ oz.Feet and legs greyish lead colour. Upper mandible horn-colour, lower mandible yellow. The bushes contained a good many Garden Warblers, young Whinchats and Whitethroats, and one Bluethroat, which, like the other two, was a young bird with a white gorget encircled with slate colour. This Bluethroat and the Icterine Warbler had come in with the wind, and perhaps crossed the sea together, as they were only about one hundred yards apart.