BIRD-LIFE NEAR GILWELL PARK, SEWARDSTONE. 71
cottage. One pair occupies an island in a small pond in Green
Lane, the other nests in the bank of a wide ditch in Sewardstone
Bury Road. The constant noise of traffic seems to disturb the
parent not at all, for I have never known her fail to rear a family
safely. It is interesting to watch the sooty, downy nestlings
gradually assume the juvenile plumage, with almost pure white
under-parts. They seem to disperse before the dark grey plumage
and general characteristics of the adult are attained. I rarely
see moorhens on this pond between September and March,
but after a fall of snow I invariably see the foot-tracks of the
bird in a straight line across the white road from the pond to
the grassy stretch and hedge beyond.
Moorhens are very numerous throughout the district.
Mallard. Several mallards make efforts each year to nest
in the banks of various small ponds, but they never succeed in
doing so.
BIRDS THAT FREQUENT OPEN SPACES.
I will comment first on birds I have watched in Gilwell
Park and on the West Essex Golf Links.
Nightjar. I have only once heard the nightjar in this
district, but then its identity was unmistakeable. I mention
this, as the record I have to make is an unusual one for this
bird. Generally the nightjar is among our later migrants,
seldom appearing before the end of April. My bird, in 1926,
set the air vibrating with its trilling reel during each night
from April 2nd to the 6th. It began at about 9 p.m. and each
reel lasted about a moment. After the five days it was heard
no more.
Common Buzzard. On March 10th, 1924, a large bird with
rounded wings was seen by me and a friend flying from one. tree
to another in Gilwell Park. It was evening, but I felt sure
it was a buzzard. On March 15th, I met Mr. Bruce, of Loughton,
on Yardley Hill. He said he had just seen a buzzard fly over
from Yardley Hill into Hawk Wood. A few days later Mr.
McKenzie, the Forest Superintendent, told me he had seen a
buzzard-like bird flying in a wide circle, very high. I failed
to see the bird again in 1924, but under the oak in the Park
to which we had seen it fly we found over forty very large food-
pellets, consisting of the fur and bones of voles, mice and shrews