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THE ESSEX NATURALIST
by 80 feet which is slightly below the surrounding meadowland and might-
have been the granary yard. The Creeping Thistle grows in this area of
the meadow, but there is an irregularly shaped site, which approximates
to the marked position of the granary, where the thistle is completely
absent. Is this not suggestive that the granary floor, of brick, stone or
flint, is still in position and preventing the deep-rooted thistles from
flourishing? The other building was on the opposite side of the road, and
there is no trace of this, either, above ground.
Birds at North Fambridge in 1955
Notes from My Diary
BY JACK T. FRIEDLEIN
THE year starts off with cold, snowy weather. January 5th. I saw a
flight of Widgeon 250-strong passing eastward. 8th. c.400 Teal and 5
Sheld-duck on the flooded marsh. 11th. Many hundreds of mixed duck
on the tide. Five Snipe sprang up from their usual feeding ground on the
shore-line. 19th. 22 degrees of frost at Chelmsford, the lowest temperature
this winter. 22nd. Two Goldcrests and four Long-tailed Tits together
working the hedge. 25th. Nine Grey Geese flew east at dusk. 27th. Jack-
daws inspecting holes in the old Poplar. 30th. Much milder.
February 2nd. Fine and warm and the birds are singing like springtime.
A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker working the Elms. About 50 Eider Duck
on the tide: this is probably the bunch that has been seen at Bradwell.
10th. Cold again with some snow. 20th. I saw a Woodcock close to the
old house ditch. 21st. 12 Fieldfares feeding on Japanese quince "apples"
a few feet from the house. A Tree-Creeper seen. 27th. A Great Spotted
Woodpecker in the Elms. Redwings and Fieldfares in large numbers.
March 1th. A Tawny Owl fell down the chimney. I caught him with
gloved hands and had a good look at him, his enormous eyes seemed as big
as a spaniel's. 27th. Teal and Widgeon still here in force. 28th. Six
Long-tailed Tits in one group. The birds were singing happily at dusk.
April 2nd. The first two Willow-Warblers arrived. 9th. The first Swallow
arrived. 10th. Willow-Warblers in song. No fresh arrivals until the 17th,
when two Swallow's were on the wires and I heard a Cuckoo at Mundon
Wood. 18th. Four Swallows. 19th. Several Swallows here and there.
Willow-Warblers are now numerous. 22nd. Whimbrel passed eastwards,
calling, at 9 p.m. 23rd. First Lesser Whitethroat in the orchard, also a
Tree-Creeper. 25th. The first Blackcap in the orchard. 26th. Lesser
Whitethroats here and there along the roadside hedges. 29th. The first
Turtle-Dove arrived. 30th. Several Turtle-Doves. Swallows building up
in numbers. Three House-Martins. Three Whimbrel over the marsh and
an Oyster-catcher in Stow Creek.
May 2nd. The first Swift seen at 7.15 p.m. flying directly north. 5th.
Several Swifts near Stow Creek. 6th. The first Yellow Wagtail around
the cow-shed. 7th. Several Nightingales in song in a wood several miles
distant. Chiffchaffs and Willow-Warblers were also singing. A Yellow
Wagtail cock was found killed by a car on the road. What a pity after
it had come so many miles safely! Swifts numerous over the farm today.