166
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
my head towards the sea, but although I trained my glass on to it
I remained puzzled, and dismissed the matter from my thoughts.
A fortnight later, 27/11/27, I returned to the fleet, and again
found the gull in the same position, so I decided to have another
look at it, but before my telescope was in position, it rose and
flew straight down the fleet and over my head. As it passed,
as a forlorn hope, I put my glass on the bird, which, fortunately,
caused it to turn over in its flight, giving me an excellent view
of the wings in a splendid light, and to my surprise I could see
that they were devoid of black markings. Instantly I knew I
had seen one of the northern-breeding gulls. It was clearly
an Iceland Gull as its size was about the same as that of the
Herring Gull.
Coot (Fulica a. atra L.). Pitseahall Fleet was the only
locality where the species was seen in any numbers, a count,
made on 24/10/26, showing that there were present from 150 to
200 birds. Similar numbers were seen here on various occasions.
At some localities, such as Pitseahall Fleet and Corringham
Marsh, the species was found throughout the year, but others,
such as Mucking and Fobbing Marshes, appeared to be deserted
after the finish of the nesting operations. It is of interest, in
view of the rapid changes being made, that the Coot still nests
at Dagenham Gulf, where young were seen on August 7, 1926.
Other species identified : Jay, Greenfinch, Linnet, Chaffinch,
House Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Sky-lark, Tree
Pipit, Pied Wagtail, British Tree-creeper, British Great Titmouse,
British Blue Titmouse, Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler, Sedge
Warbler, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat,
Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, British Song Thrush, Redwing, Black-
bird, British Redbreast, British Hedge Sparrow, Wren, Swift,
Green Woodpecker, Cuckoo, Kestrel, Mute Swan, Wood Pigeon,
Turtle Dove, Moorhen, Pheasant and Common Partridge.
RETROSPECT.
The writer, in reviewing the series of papers which have been
contributed on the subject, realizes how much more might have
been done, how many more questions might have been answered.
On the other hand this is the first occasion that such a piece of
work has been accomplished in Essex, and perhaps in any English
county. Seven years is a good slice out of a human life and