BIRDS 165. Ruddy Sheld-Duck. Tadorna casarca (Linn.). A rare and occasional visitor. One is said to have been shot about twenty-five years ago on the Main, outside the estuary of the Blackwater (Birds of Essex, p. 200). 1 66. Mallard or Wild Duck. Anas boscas, Linn. A fairly common resident, breeding in in- creasing numbers on the marshes round the coast and in private parks containing sheets of ornamental water. In winter the resident birds are however greatly recruited by ar- rivals from elsewhere. At this season con- siderable numbers are taken in our decoys. 167. Gad wall. Anas strepera, Linn. Locally, Sand Wigeon. A scarce winter visitor. 1 68. Shoveler. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). A scarce resident breeding in small but increasing numbers at several spots on the marshes round our coast. Fairly common, especially near the coast, during the winter. 169. Pintail. Dafila acuta (Linn.). A scarce winter visitor. 170. Teal. Ntttion crecca (Linn.). A resident, breeding in small numbers on the marshes round our coast and occasionally inland. Better known however as a fairly common winter visitor. 171. Garganey. Querquedula circia (Linn.). Locally, Summer Teal. A scarce visitor, chiefly when on migra- tion. Not improbably it has bred in the county, but I know of no instance of a nest having been found, though a bird shot at St. Osyth on May 24, 1890, belonged probably to a breeding pair, and on July 1 7, 1 896, nine (probably a family party) were seen together on a fleet at Paglesham (Hope). 172. Wigeon. Mareca penelope (Linn.). A very common winter visitor on our coast : less often seen inland. Adults have been seen occasionally in the county during summer and young birds early in autumn. Probably therefore it has bred with us, but there is no conclusive record of its having done so. Prodigious numbers were taken formerly in our decoys, and fair catches are still made. [American Wigeon. Martca americana (Gmelin). A female is said to have been shot on the Essex coast in January 1862, but the record requires further substantiation (see Birds f Essex, p. 20l).] 173. Red-crested Pochard. Netta rufina (Pallas). A rare and casual visitor. One was killed near Colchester about January 1 844. 174. Pochard. Fuligula ferina (Linn.). A common winter visitor to our coast. Vast numbers were taken formerly in the decoys. Early in last century a few bred occasionally on the marshes, but for a long period none were known to do so until within the last seventeen years. It is now resident in small but steadily increasing numbers at several spots round our coast, chiefly on the Old Hall Marshes, Tollesbury, where it first bred (so far as is known) in 1886. 175. Ferruginous Duck. Fuligula nyroca (Gdldenstadt). An occasional straggler during winter. One was obtained at the Marsh House Decoy, Tillingham, about the year 1880 (see Birds of Essex, p. 209). 1 76. Tufted Duck. Fuligula cristata (Leach). A somewhat uncommon winter visitor to our coast : occasionally met with inland. Not improbably it has bred in the county (for instance, at the Wade, in Steeple parish, in 1888 : see Birds of Essex, p. 206), but there is no authentic recorded instance. 177. Scaup-Duck. Fuligula marila (Linn.). A fairly common winter visitor, principally to the coast. 178. Goldeneye. Clangula glaudon (Linn.). As the foregoing. 179. Long-tailed Duck. Hare/da gladalis (Linn.). A rare winter visitor. 1 80. Eider Duck. Somateria mollissima (Linn.). An uncommon winter visitor to our coast during severe weather. 18 1. Common Scoter. (Edemia nigra (Linn.). Locally, Black Duck. A very abundant winter visitor to the seas round our coast : very rarely seen inland. A few non-breeding birds remain through the summer. 182. Velvet-Scoter. (Edemia fitted (Linn.). A scarce winter visitor to our coast. 247
