FISHES
207
Woodcock In Epping Forest.—Each year a varying number of reports
of Woodcock in the Forest district come to my notice. This year I was told
of a woodcock which in bright afternoon sunshine flew low over the heads of the
spectators and across the running courses at Bancroft's School, Woodford
Green, whilst the Spring sports meeting was in full swing on April 2nd, 1949.
The bird was not alarmed and flew steadily across the pitches to drop in the
adjacent woodland known as "Reed's Forest."
On the following day in company with another member of the Club I
flushed a woodcock from a damp glade in the northern half of the Forest.
It dropped quickly but knowing the difficulty of finding it again without the
assistance of a dog we continued with our other pursuits only to have a
second view of the bird (or of another bird) a few minutes later.
The end of March and early April is the usual time for the "roding"
flights of this species but these two occurrences and other reports suggest
that these observations were part of the spring movement towards the
breeding grounds. No breeding records of this species are known from Essex
and it is hoped that anyone finding such will not disclose the locality.
B. T. Ward.
Little Gull in North Essex.—In British Birds for January 1949, Mr. R. W.
Arthur gives recent records of Little Gull (Larus minutus). An immature
bird found dead on St. Osyth beach, November 4th, 1947 ; an immature
bird seen over Colne marshes, Alresford, January 24th, 1948 ; an adult in
winter plumage over Howlands Marshes, St. Osyth, January 24th, 1948 ;
an adult in breeding plumage at Lee Wick beach, May 10th, 1948.
Kite in Essex.—On May 10th, 1948, Messrs. S. Austin and W. A. Wright
watched a Kite (Milvus milvus) soaring and drifting at a considerable height
over Epping Forest, near Loughton. The Kite is an extremely rare visitor
to this country. (British Birds, February 1949.)
Common Sandpiper breeding in Essex.—In British Birds for March 1949,
Mr. A. J. Martin reports that on July 20th, 1947, he saw an adult Common
Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) with a young one half its size at Goldhanger.
A second adult bird was seen not far away.
Wood-Pigeon's unusual nesting site.—Mr. M. J. Ardley, in British Birds
for July 1949, reports a nest of the Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
inside a hollow tree at Upminster. The bird was seen to leave the nest,
thus making it certain that the nest was not that of a Stock-Dove (Columba
aenas).
Dartford Warbler breeding in Essex.—In British Birds for August 1949,
Mr. R. E. Burton reports the presence of a pair of Dartford Warblers (Sylvia
undata), which appeared to be breeding, in an unspecified locality of Essex.
FISHES
A Two-spined Stickleback in the River Roding.—The specimen exhibited
at the Ordinary Meeting of November 26th was taken along with a number
of typical three-spined specimens of the Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L.
during an exploratory trip on October 22nd along the reaches between
Ongar and Fyfield by the Students' Field Club of the S.W. Essex Technical
College. The aberration was not observed until the material was sorted
on return, by which time the animal had unfortunately died in transit. It
was pickled and has now been given to the Essex Museum.