190
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
about nine on the farm. 22nd. Cuckoo calling at 7.30 a.m. 23rd. A pair
of Blackcaps in the orchard all day, the hen bird's cap seems almost
red. Three Yellow Wagtails and two Pied Wagtails. 24th. Three House-
Martins here at 8 p.m. They gradually rose higher and higher until they
disappeared from sight. 26th. Two pairs of Missel-Thrushes have nests,
one in the same spot as last year. A pair of Blackcaps and a pair of Tree-
Creepers in the orchard. 27th. Yellow Wagtails in the usual place daily.
29th. Whimbrel and Oyster-Catchers calling in the marsh at night.
Five Song-Thrush nests with eggs and some with young on the farm.
May 1st. Greenshank calling in the marsh at night. 2nd. The first
Turtle-Dove in the top thicket. A Sedge-Warbler singing in a nearby
ditch. 4th. Swifts arrived overhead. 5th. 12 Swifts in one flight. 7th. The
first Spotted Flycatcher on the usual wire at 9.30 p.m. One of my
workers says that he had six Thrush nests around his garden all destroyed
by Jays. Heard a Nightingale at my Shotgate thicket, also many White-
throats and Blackcaps. Thirty Swifts screaming overhead this even-
ing. 8th. Blackcaps, I believe two pairs have settled down here. 11th.
Spotted Flycatchers and Blackcaps busy. I saw an unidentified Warbler
which tallied with the description of Cetti's Warbler. 12th. Yellow
Wagtails must be nesting not far away as they are on the farm daily.
A Barn-Owl this morning. 18th. A Kestrel after young Thrushes, when
busy feeding their young they will attack anything. 19th. A Sedge-
Warbler down the roadside hedge. 24th. Four Bullfinches feeding on
mysotis heads. 28th. A hare ran towards the shore and amongst five
Sheld-Duck which flew off in annoyance and settled down again almost
at once.
June 5th. A single Tree-Creeper seen alone for several successive days.
10th. I counted 14 Long-tailed Tits all well on the wing. 11th. Robins,
Blue Tits, Thrushes, Wrens, Blackcaps. Lesser Whitethroats have numer-
ous nests in all available sites on the farm. The majority brought their
young safely to flying stage due to a sudden scarcity of Jays and Mag-
pies. 17th. First brood of Swallows on the wing today. Spotted Fly-
catchers "tick, ticking" at the cats; they must have a nest somewhere
near. 18th. A brood of Lesser Whitethroats sitting on a low bramble
being fed by the parents. A fully-fledged young Cuckoo being fed by
all and sundry. 23rd. Counted a group of Long-tailed Tits, 21 all told.
A Garden-Warbler in song. 24th. A brood of Spotted Flycatchers and
one of Blackcaps on the wing.
July 9th. A flight of about 200 Swallows and House-Martins made a
mock migration flight at dusk calling the migration notes which are
usually heard only as they bunch to leave. 13th. Willow-Warblers moving
south in some numbers already. 26th. Whimbrel calling in the marsh.
Warblers on the move south.
August 1st. A cock Bullfinch hovering like a humming bird to take
honeysuckle berries. 2nd. Warblers numerous in the orchard. 5th. Many
Swifts standing against the wind. 6th. There are two pairs of Spotted
Flycatchers feeding young. 9th. About a dozen Yellow Wagtails around