BIRDS
40. Crested Tit. Parus cristatus, Linn. A rare and occasional straggler. One or two examples are said (Birds of Essex, p. 94) to have been obtained near Saffron Walden early in last century, but none have been seen since. 41. Nuthatch. Sitta aesia, Wolf. A fairly common resident, especially in parks and wooded districts where fine old timber exists. 42. Wren. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch. Locally, Tiddy-Wren, Jenny- Wren, etc. A common resident. 43. Tree-Creeper. Certhia familiaris, Linn. Resident and fairly common everywhere, but too retiring to be seen very often. 44. Pied Wagtail. Motacilla lugubris, Temm. A common resident, though comparatively few remain through severe winters. 45. White Wagtail. Motacilla alba, Linn. An uncommon visitor, chiefly in spring : often mistaken, no doubt, for the last-named species. 46. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. A regular but uncommon visitor in autumn and winter. It is not known to have nested in the county. 47. Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla flava, Linn. An occasional spring visitor : often mis- taken, doubtless, for the next species. The first example detected in Britain was shot by Henry Doubleday on the cliffs at Walton- on-the-Naze on October 3, 1834 (Birds of Essex, p. 98). Probably it has bred in the county, as it has been observed in pairs in May. 48. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla rait (Bona- parte). A summer visitor, breeding commonly beside the marsh ditches near the coast, though never inland, so far as my experience goes. 49. Tree-Pipit. Antbus trivialis (Linn.). A fairly common summer visitor. 50. Meadow-Pipit. Anthus pratensis (Linn.). Locally, Tit-lark. A resident, abundant in the meadows and on the marshes and saltings round the coast : much less numerous inland. 51. Rock-Pipit. Anthus obscurus (Latham). Common during winter among the saltings and mudflats in the estuaries of our rivers, where it is generally found running about, singly or in small parties, upon the mud under the ' brew' of the ditches inside the sea-walls. It is said to have bred formerly on our coast, and has been known to do so on one recent occasion at East Mersea, in 1892 (Fitch). 52. Golden Oriole. Oriolus galbula, Linn. A summer visitor, but uncommon. The appearance of individuals, singly and in pairs, in the county of late years during early sum- mer seems to leave little doubt that it has bred recently with us, and that it would have done so oftener had it not been molested ; but there is no actual record of its having done so which is wholly satisfactory. 53. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor, Linn. A regular though uncommon winter visitor, some occurring every year. A few indi- viduals have been seen in the county during summer, but it is not known to have bred in Britain. The Eastern form of the bird (L. major) has occasionally occurred in Essex, while at least one other sub-specific form is likely to occur, and these should be carefully discriminated. 54. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius collurio, Linn. A fairly common summer visitor, but steadily decreasing, I believe, in numbers, probably because the large thorn-hedges in which it used to nest are now largely cut down. 55. Woodchat Shrike. Lanius pomeranus, Sparrman. A rare and occasional summer visitor. A pair were shot at Arkesden late in August 1880, and one or two other individuals have been reported as seen from time to time (see Birds of Essex, p. 1 06). 56. Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus, Linn. An irregular winter visitor. In some years (for instance, 1835, 1850, 1866 and 1893) it has occurred in considerable numbers : in others, none have been seen. 57. Pied Flycatcher. Muscicapa atricapilla, Linn. A passing migrant, occasionally seen in spring and autumn when going to or from its breeding haunts further north. It is said (Harting's Summer Migrants, p. 163) to have bred in the county on one occasion. 239
