22
then on we saw it only once a day, the last
time at another pond 300 yards west until,
after two or three weeks, it moved off leaving
the snipe to continue behaving as be-fore.
The pure white rump, base of tail and back
stood out startlingly obvious - I am convinced
it was a Dowitcher, but we shall never know for
sure.
Having acquired half a dozen local thickets
over the past 30 years or so we have done our
best to maintain natural habitats for spring
migrants and resident species. However, it
has became increasingly evident that several
species are becoming scarce and others a thing
of the past. Half a century ago these
thickets contained several Nightingales each
year, as well as Whitethroat, Spotted
Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, etc.
This year there was a complete absence of most
species, one pair of Blackcaps, whose nest was
probably destroyed by Magpies, one Spotted
Flycatcher and one Tree Creeper seen two or
three times. It has been the most dis-
appointing season ever. Whimbrel passing
north in May and south in September are now a
rarity. We have had up to 34 pairs of
Swallows nesting in our henhouse and other
sheds, but this year numbers are right down,
but this may be a local problem as we have seen
huge flocks of Swallows with a few Sand and
House Martins flying south during September.
On three or four occasions flocks congregated
on the power lines in numbers up to 600 moving
off in a cloud just before dusk, heading south
over the marsh so as to reach the south coast
by nightfall; they should be passing Gibraltar