128 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Warbler! This record has been accepted by the Essex Bird Watching and
Preservation Society, the first of the species ever seen in Essex! I have been
informed that the first ever recorded for Yorkshire was seen on or about the
same date and it appears that a small group crossed the North Sea and
spread out. The bird usually winters in India or Malaya. 22nd. Seven
House-Martins and one Swallow flying high hawking flies. 24th. Two House-
Martins. 25th. A Coal-Tit in the garden, the first for several years. 26th.
Two Coal-Tits about the farm all day. 27th. Two House-Martins and a
Fieldfare seen today. 30th. Coal-Tits around the garden with two Bullfinches.
November 2nd. Two Swallows looking well and catching plenty of
gnats. Coal-Tits and Goldcrests in the garden trees. Saw all three species
of Woodpeckers today. 3rd. Six Redwings and one Fieldfare passed over,
travelling westward. At 3.45 p.m., I heard a familiar "si, si, si" and, to my
surprise there were two Firecrests in a group of Goldcrests. I watched them
at close range and when seen together the difference is tremendous. 5th. A
few Lapwings on the cultivated lands near here. Bullfinches seen daily and
the Mistle-Thrushes are becoming quarrelsome over the berries. Goldfinches
enjoying the teazle seeds which I grow for them. 10th. My son reports a
single House-Martin over the farm. 14th. A single House-Martin flying up
and down the sheltered side of the hedge searching for flies in 40° weather!
16th. A few Fieldfares sheltering in the thickets. Heard Widgeon for the
first time this autumn. 17th. A Goldcrest and Coal-Tits. At noon I was in
the garden when I heard the familiar Goldcrest call in the shrubs, on approach-
ing I spotted a Firecrest. It flew to a patch of young Norway spruce where
it was joined by two more Firecrests. One was marked extra brilliantly—
rump and back parrot-green, crest fiery, very broad and prominent. So for
the first time in Essex, three Firecrests were observed together. I considered
them to be two hens and one cock. 18th. Goldcrests at 8 a.m. Forty Field-
fares passed over, flying south-west. 19th. Reed-Buntings are on the cinder
track early every morning at this time of year. 20th. At 10 a.m. a single
Firecrest flew into a cypress and then vanished. At 3.45 p.m. a mixed bunch
of Firecrests and Goldcrests (at least two Firecrests) were in a greengage
tree and then flew on into the conifers and were silent on reaching this shelter
for the night. 21st. Goldcrest in the hedge near station at 8 a.m. 26th.
Two Tree-Creepers seen. 27th. A large group of Long-tailed Tits in company
with Great Tits and Blue Tits passed through the garden, feeding on their
way.
December 1st. Plenty of Teal in the marsh. 8th. Have seen Goldcrests
each day since the 5th. 15th. About thirty-five Redwings and three or four
Fieldfares flew into our thicket at dusk. 18th. Watched a Goldcrest hovering
like a Humming Bird, catching gnats. 26th. Watched a single Goldcrest
catching dancing gnats with continuous hawking and aerobatics for ten seconds
without respite. 28th. Long-tailed Tits working the hedges. My stockman's
tame Robin feeds from his hand every day, this is its fourth year. Bullfinches
have been taking the tree buds in the garden for some time past. 30th. Two
Tree-Creepers working the elms. 31st. I watched for some time a Goldcrest
hawking gnats from the top of a 20ft. spruce. It repeatedly rose and hovered
in a dancing cluster of gnats catching them with apparent ease. The year
closed with mild weather prevailing throughout the country.
Robin singing at midnight in winter.—I heard a Robin singing its full
song at ten minutes to midnight on 29th January, 1958. The bird was singing
by the High Road at Loughton—a road with mercury vapour lighting—and
the night was calm and misty with a temperature of about 50 degrees F.
C. B. Pratt