192
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
7th. 11th. One juvenile Swallow still in the shed at night. 12th. Curlew
numerous. 14th. One Wheatear on Hollington's. 18th. Three Coal-Tits.
Three Redwings passed westward at dusk. 19th. Three Fieldfares flew
west and then at least 100 Redwings and 100 Fieldfares moved off
W.N.W. 21st. Three Swallows. Redwings "seeping" overhead at mid-
night. 23rd. One Swallow. Several Snipe calling as they pass overhead at
dusk. A Kingfisher at the Hall pond. 25th. Two Swallows. 31st. A Swal-
low round the Hall all day.
November 3rd. At least seven Goldcrests in the orchard. Two Swallows
at noon. 4th. Three juvenile Swallows hawking flies around the farm.
5th. A Yellow Wagtail flew up from the pond. 7th. Thrushes and
Blackbirds singing like spring. 8lh to 13th. The three young Swallows
were seen daily. 12th. About 100 Fieldfares and a few Redwings round
our small orchard. 14th, Blackbirds (and Thrushes) in full song again.
[Blackbird song was noted at this period by me at Loughton and by
Mr. Ramage in Sussex. Ed.] 15th. A pair of adult Swallows arrived.
As it transpired they remained about the farm until the 30th, after
which they were seen no more. 18th. At least 600 Fieldfares feasting
on the berries in our high hedges. 21st. Thrushes and Blackbirds still
in full song. Reed-Bunting are back on the cinder track for the winter
as usual, it is still a mystery what attracts them to the cinders. 22nd.
The two Swallows have now been joined by a third adult bird which
has a small white patch on the side of the rump. They spent the day
around the churchyard which is sheltered from the raw east wind.
25th. Two sound Swallows resting on a cross in the churchyard, the
injured one is no doubt dead. In the afternoon they were hawking
insects below the cowshed, both look well and very active. 26th. Seven
Snipe flew up from the marsh. 27th. I saw two Peregrine Falcons flying
south fast, at about 500 feet height.
December 1st. The Swallows have gone at last and have a real fine
day to get away—clear skies up to dusk and then sharp frost. 5th. A
bunch of about 30 Linnets in full song on the cowshed hedge. Thrushes
and Blackbirds sing all day. A flight of Widgeon passed over at dusk.
7th. Redwing "seeping" overhead at night. 8th. Splendid cock Bullfinches
in the garden trees. 9th. About 250 Lapwing wheeling and disporting
themselves on the farm. Observed at dusk about 30 Goldfinches in full
song with a "zeezing" chorus settling on the tips of the old oak tree
branches and apparently clinging to the dead leaves for the night.
10th. Thrushes and Blackbirds in full song. 11th. Heard Widgeon and
also an unknown wader calling as it passed over in the dark. 13th. A
single Tree-Creeper working the middle hedge. 16th. Thrushes and
Blackbirds in full song before dawn. 20th. Fieldfare moving off south
in small groups after rising to about 400 feet. 21st. Widgeon and Teal
calling in the marsh at night. 28th. Mild weather prevails, with birds in
full song. 31st. The year ends with weather good for all the birds, they
have been singing as in spring for weeks now. A juvenile Swallow was
seen at Leigh-on-Sea on December 24th, so it appears that they can
survive bad cold days and frosty nights provided that the odd mild day
gives them a break.