BIRDS AT NORTH FAMBRIDGE 201
June. 2nd. Baby Goldfinches blown out of nest. I tied the nest back
with string and, after drying three live birds, put them back. They were
reared and flew safely. A pair of Bullfinches eating Forget-me-not seeds
in the garden. 3rd. A dreadful day, Swallows and Martins flying at ground
level all day hunting for scarce flies. 6th. Family of Bullfinches eating
Forget-me-not seeds. 13th. Wrens feeding young sheltering in half-coconut.
August. 7th. When passing Abberton Reservoir, I saw roughly 4,000
Sand-Martins resting on H.T. wires—an extraordinary sight! 12th.
Swallows massing on wires early. 25th. One late Swift. 20th. Many
Willow-Warblers, Whitethroats and Spotted Flycatchers passing through,
Swallows leaving sheds fast. 31st. Swallows and Martins in large numbers
passing through.
September. 2nd. Two Swifts on the farm. 3rd. Whimbrel passing south
at night. 4th. Chiffchaff in song. 5th. Blackcaps in full song. Wonderful
weather for migrating birds. 7th. 6.45 p.m. Three Pied Flycatchers in
the place where they are usually seen every year at this period. 12th.
Nine Yellow Wagtails on the road at Kitts Hill. 19th. Swallows massing
at dusk and southing fast. 20th. One Pied Flycatcher today. Swallows
dashing south at dusk. 22nd. Dull and raining with a strong S.W. wind.
Swallows flying low over roads. I saw several which had been killed by
cars. 25th. Pied Flycatcher still in the orchard. Chiffchaff seen and heard.
26th. I saw about 100 Rooks circling and steadily gaining height, then
suddenly they peeled off and dived like rockets vertically to ground level!
I had never seen it before. 28th. Kingfisher by the marsh. Pied Flycatcher
still in the orchard. 29th. One Turtle-dove at Battlesbridge. 30th. Willow-
Warblers passing southward all day.
October. 1st. Many Swallows near Wickford. 2nd. Pied Flycatcher
here again today. Large numbers of Lapwing on the local fields. 3rd.
Numerous Swallows at 6 p.m. flying very high in grand weather. 6th:
Our last nestful of Swallow fledgelings flew today. 10th. Like summer,
large numbers of Swallows passing by. Two Kingfishers on our pond, a
Tree-Creeper in the orchard. 12th. Weather deteriorating fast. Five
Swallows flying fast S.E. at 7.15 a.m. 16th. Three or four Swallows still
round the farm. 18th. A Robin fluttering in the window was joined by
another on the outside of the glass apparently trying to help its imprisoned
fellow. 21st. Very mild. Saw a Turtle-Dove at Orsett. 25th. Two Swallows
still here, also a Goldcrest. Heard a Redwing at night. 21st. Four Gold-
crests in the conifers. A Great Spotted Woodpecker disturbed by the Hunt
dived like a stone from a height. Three Swallows round the house at 3 p.m.
November. 2nd. Four Swallows round the house all day; they were
catching flies resting on the warm chimney stack as there were no insects
in flight. 5th. One Swallow today, it looked well in spite of cold weather.
10th. Goldcrests in the shrubs. Bats on the wing at dusk. 13th. Large
flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings. Song-Thrushes singing. 14th. A pair
of Peregrine Falcons racing east, chasing each other and calling Kereck-
Kereck. 17th. Birds singing rapturously. 30th. 54 deg. at night.
December. 1st. 18 Grey Geese flying very low over Stow Creek in perfect
formation. 23rd. Goldcrests in our thicket. 3 Night-Herons at Foulness,
Steeple and Heybridge.