14 THE PROTECTION OF WILD BIRDS IN ESSEX.
G. ' The flood has destroyed the Wild Ducks' breeding ground, but with
other birds it has made no difference ; last season was very fair
with other shore birds.'
H. ' Ducks and Coots plentiful at first. There have been more of some
sorts that frequent this part. I can speak from being an eye-
witness to seeing hundreds of young birds—Ducks and Coots-
hatch where I was, and having no fresh water, they all perished ;
for after about one week there wasn't a young one to be seen, only
dead ones, and as June came the old birds left, all but now and then
one took their departure, and there are but few returned at present.'
I. ' The shore birds did well last season, and there seems an increase of
the same, but a decrease in Wild Fowl this season, owing largely,
I believe, to the very high tides which prevailed all the summer,
damaging the nests.'
K. ' There was a fair quantity of shore birds last season. There has
been a great decrease in Wild Fowl, through and owing to the
great floods of last season. There are hundreds of Wild Fowl eggs
destroyed by laying on the saltings. If they were disturbed when
building their nests, they would go and build on the fresh marshes.
As there are a lot of saltings in my district, that would be the
means of preserving them.'
L. ' I think the shore birds had a fair breeding time last year, and that
there is an increase in all the small class. Wild Ducks are not
nearly as plentiful as usual, but this is, I think, owing to the flood-
ing of their breeding grounds by the sea breaking over last
November year.'
" Another correspondent reports :—'A much larger number of Ring
Plover ; you can see them at any time ; a year or two ago you could hardly
see one. The island that Mr. Buxton and yourself went to look at has all
gone to sea, and the birds have taken up their abode there, any amount of
them, and all kinds, so it looks like the birds making their home there' He
also reports the breeding of Sheldrake and Oyster-catchers ; and says that
there has been a great increase in the number of Dab-chick."
" It seems probable that the young duck died in the flooded grounds
rather from want of food than from want of fresh water. Any observations
on this point would be of interest."
Mr. Russell reports that 16 persons were prosecuted under
the Wild-bird Acts in Essex in 1898, and all but one were con-
victed. He also says that several suggestions have been made
to him, and quotes the following as worthy of consideration by
the County Council and the Home Secretary for adoption in
Essex :—
" 1. That a list of birds should be drawn up to be protected all the year
round throughout the county.1 Such a list would necessarily be
confined to those which are both harmless and easily distinguished.
It might include the Kingfisher, Woodpecker, Nut-hatch, the
Swallow tribe, Goldfinch, Barn Owl, &c.
1 As above-mentioned, we would recommend that a list should be published of those
birds not protected.—Ed.