BROAD FEATURES OF ORNITHOLOGY OF ESSEX. 261
might rear their young in Essex, but this has not happened.
It is almost certain, however, that although this large Tern does
not stay to nest it passes along our coast annually, particularly
during emigration. On August 31st, 1930, a flock of at least
two hundred was seen on Mucking Flats. The Wheatear,
Redstart and Wryneck have decreased as breeders. In certain
localities the Redstart is still a common bird, as in Epping and
Hatfield Forests, and some may be found in Weald Park, but
it has disappeared from or become scarcer in localities where
it was previously numerous.
Although the decline of the Wryneck was noticed as far back
as 1832, yet it remained fairly common in some districts for
many years later, but today it is a scarce Essex bird. Birds of
prey as a group have suffered more than any other type of bird,
so that today we have only one diurnal raptorial which may be
described as common, namely the Kestrel, and the only other
regular nester is the Sparrowhawk; as such it is much decreased.
In addition to the Kite, which has already been mentioned,
the Hobby, Common Buzzard, Marsh-Harrier and Hen-Harrier
all probably bred within the confines of Essex, but today that
is merely history. It is possible that there are classes of
alteration which occur without being noticed, as for example
if we examine the occurrences of the Hoopoe, which has never
been more than a straggler, we find that from 1821, the year
of the first occurrence, to 1890, a period of 69 years, 48 were
recorded, whereas from the latter year to 1928, a period of 38
years, only 8 have appeared. Some alteration in the movements
of this South European bird must have occurred. Although
it is difficult to get satisfactory evidence the idea exists that
the numbers of wildfowl have decreased. Folkard, writing in
1875 of the Essex Pochard ponds, states that in the past
500 to 600 Pochards at one rise of the net was considered quite
a moderate capture. I have no knowledge that this duck
occurs in such numbers today. There are three further decreased
species which I must mention, the Oyster-catcher, Corncrake
and Quail. The case of the Corncrake is one of the most striking
changes which have occurred in the British Isles in recent times.
It is very rarely indeed that this bird is found in Essex in the
nesting season, and although the evidence to prove that it ever