Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/471

Rh Mr. Valance Elam, of Little Tew Lodge, Enstone, flushed eight Woodcocks in one cover on the 24th.

November 2nd.—Near Heythrop, where these birds are numerous about the stone-wall country, as the sun came out to-day, the Common Bunting was singing gaily.

6th.—A Sand Martin was seen at Milcomb by two friends of mine who know the bird well.

16th.—This afternoon, at 3.40 p.m., I noticed a great noise and excitement proceeding from eight or ten Hedge-Sparrows which were scattered about in a laburnum and some orchard trees. They became silent when I went out to look at them, but soon began again, answering one another with their thin tseek. No cat or other vermin was to be found, and the birds were in some cases some distance apart. The excitement lasted about a quarter of an hour. It was near roosting-time. I have once or twice since noticed a similar occurrence.

22nd.—A very mild but dull day. A Blackbird sang for some time just before sunset. The notes were rather poor, but numerous. Perhaps the bird was a young one of the year, early hatched, as many were last spring. In my experience the Blackbird is very rarely heard to sing in autumn.

30th.—A Water Rail shot close to the village. In two swede-fields I found a good many Meadow Pipits: a late date for a flock to be here.

December 6th.—Missel Thrush singing well.

9th.—Wind strong from the south. A flock of about two hundred Ring Doves passed over at a fair height, going due south, and battling with the wind.

11th.—Song Thrushes sing very well now.

18th.—Severe frost for the last few days. Two Jack Snipe shot.

19th.—Vast flock of Chaffinches on clover and stubble; as far as I could see they were all females.

24th.—Another Jack-Snipe shot here.

31st.—A Sclavonian Grebe shot at Chimney-on-Thames. It is now in the Oxford Museum. In the course of correspondence about this bird with Mr. Darbey, he gave me information of the following Oxfordshire examples of this bird, not previously recorded:—One picked up at Pink Hill (or Pinkie) Lock, near