Page:VCH Derbyshire 1.djvu/200

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A HISTORY OF DERBYSHIRE Rolleston, on the Staffordshire side of the Dove (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, p. 57). It is also occasionally met with in the north. 214. Herring-Gull. Larus argentatus, J. F. Gmelin. Occurs regularly on migration in the Trent valley and occasionally in other parts of the county. Unlike the smaller gulls, this species usually flies at a considerable height. 215. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus, Linn. Not an uncommon passing migrant in the Trent valley, and occasionally met with in other parts. 2 1 6. Great Black-backed Gull. Larus marinus, Linn. Occasionally occurs in the Trent valley, and has also been met with at Egginton and near Derby. A small flock of four or five of these birds was seen at close quarters near Alsop-en-le-Dale one misty morning in the spring of 1902 (J. Henderson). 217. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). This is one of the commonest gulls, and on the upper Trent is met with even more frequently than the black-headed gull. Storm driven birds occur occasionally in the north, but most of our visitors follow the course of the Trent. 2 1 8. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma- torhinus (Temminck). J. J. Briggs (Zoo/, p. 4513) records a specimen which was mobbed by rooks and secured in an exhausted state on September 28, 1854. There is however some doubt as to its correct identification (Nat. Hist, of Tut- bury, p. in). An immature bird was shot by T. K. Wilson on the moors near Strines at the beginning of October, 1898 (J. J. Bald- win Young). 219. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Stercora- rius crepidatus (J. F. Gmelin). Two of these birds in immature plumage are stated by Sir O. Mosley and Mr. E. Brown to have been killed near Burton. Another was picked up at Mickleover about 1879-80. [Long-tailed or Buffon's Skua. Stercora- rius parasiticus (Linn.). Sir O. Mosley (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, p. 58) states that 'The arctic skua has, it is said, been shot near Burton.' As he also refers to Richardson's skua, it is evident that he refers to this species, but Mr. E. Brown omits all mention of it.] 220. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.). Several were shot on the Trent in the Burton district about 1843 (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, pp. 57, 109). One was caught by a dog on a pond at Kilburn in November, 1856 ; one was killed near Derby in Decem- ber, 1892 (G. Pullen) ; and in February, 1898, another was shot on the Trent (Journ. Derb. Arch, and Nat. Hist. Sac. 1898, p. xx.). There are also two specimens in the Derby Museum, one of which at any rate was locally obtained. 221. Puffin. Fratercula arctica (Linn.). Locally, Fire-eyed Grebe (Pilkington). One is said by Pilkington (1789) to have been shot near Derby. 222. Great Northern Diver. Colymbus glaci- alis, Linn. Whitlock gives five definite records of this species for Derbyshire : at Darley in 1826, on the Derwent about 1845, near Ockbrook in 1853, at Newton Solney in 1861-2, and on the Trent in 1863. A young female was picked up in an exhausted state between Tideswell and Peak Forest on August I, 1899 (W. Boulsover). 223. Black-throated Diver. Colymbus arcticus, Linn. An immature bird of this species was shot in January or February, 1897, on Combs reservoir near Chapel-en-le-Frith, and re- corded by Mr. C. Oldham in the Zoologist, 1897, p. 426. 224. Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septen- trionalis, Linn. Has occurred several times on the Trent and the lower waters of the Dove and Der- went. About 1848 many visited the Trent, and one was killed on January 31 (J. J. Briggs). Others have been killed at Repton Park pool, and on the Derwent near Derby in 1844 (Zool. 1844, p. 577). An immature bird was killed on the Dove above Hanging Bridge in 1895. 225. Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatus (Linn.). At the present time three pairs of these fine birds breed on the ponds in Shipley Park near Heanor, where they are carefully pre- served, and if the restrictions of the Wild Birds Protection Act were observed, we might hope to see a considerable increase in their breeding range. As however no fewer than five adult birds have been killed in dif- 148