ORIGINAL NOTES. 47
Ring-Ousel at Bocking.—In 1913, while walking before break-
fast on a foggy morning, I picked up a young Ring-ousel, dead, under
some telegraph wires. I have had it set up.—Alfred Hills.
Bird Notes for 1921 from Walthamstow Reservoirs —
Carrion-Crow, Corvus Corone. This species is usually seen in pairs,
but at these reservoirs it may be observed in parties as the following records
show:—Feb. 5th, twenty; Oct. 8th, twenty-five; Nov. 19th, thirty-
two; Dec. 3rd, thirty. The question arises, What food does the Crow
find here during the winter?
Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla raii. First date, May 1st; numerous
during August, but decreasing at the beginning of September; last date,
Sept. 11th.
Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris. Dec. 3rd, party flying over.
Whinchat, Saxicola rubetra. Aug. 27th, one.
Sand-Martin, Riparia riparia. Aug. 6th, very numerous, also over
Lea and marshes, numbers running into hundreds (probably flocking for
migration as only a few birds were seen on Aug. 13th).
Kingfisher, Alcedo ispida. On Aug. 20th one was seen diving from
the shore of the island of No. 5 reservoir, the angle of the dive thus being
very acute. Usually the water comes under the trees on the islands but
the lack of rain has compelled the Kingfisher to modify its habits.
Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo. Aug. 6th, two immature birds on
the western island of No. 5 reservoir; Aug. 20th, one on Racecourse;
Aug. 27th, two on the Racecourse and two perched on a tree on an island
on the High Maynard Reservoir. Subsequently on the Racecourse as
follows:—Sept. 3rd, two; Sept. 10th, one; Sept. 24th, two; Oct. 1st,
one; Oct. 8th, two. There are points of interest in these occurrences.
On all the visits the birds were resting on an island, on no occasion did I
see them feeding but the visits were all made between the hours of 1 to
4 p.m.
Records of the Cormorant occurring inland in Essex are scarce; only
one instance is quoted in The Birds of Essex. The fact that the birds made
a stay of nine weeks is also worth mentioning. (See British Birds, vol. xv.,
p. 213.)
Shoveler, Spatula clypeata. Aug. 27th, three, at least, on Racecourse.
Pochard, Nyroca ferina. This species is making a longer annual
stay on the reservoirs and it may be that its status is altering, like that of
the Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe, and that it will eventually breed
here.
Common Sandpiper. Tringa hypoleucas. Aug. 6th, one on Racecourse;
Aug. 20th, seen on Racecourse, No. 5 and West Warwick Reservoirs;
Aug. 27th, two on Lockwood and two on East Warwick Reservoirs.
Green Sandpiper, Tringa ochropus. Aug. 20th, one on Racecourse;
Aug. 27th, one on the Lockwood.
Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus. Sept. 24th, two.
An immature Tern, either Common or Arctic, was seen on Sept. 24th.
The above note only deals with more outstanding features. The regular
species, such as Mallard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Coot, Great Crested Grebe,
etc., have been as usual. The autumnal migrational movement was