Recent Birds round Lowestoft

256

RECENT BIRDS ROUND LOWESTOFT.

FAMILY Tubulipora

flabellaris,

TUBULIPORIDJE.

Fab.—Harwich

FAMILY

(Hope).

ALCYONIDIIDJE

Alcvonidium gelatinosum, Linn.—Dead-men's -fingers are common ' at low-water mark : Bawdsey (Morley, teste Brit. Mus.);.

Southwold (Collings 1937) ; frequent throughout (Ellis).

FAMILY

FLUSTRELLIDJE.

Flustrella hispida, Fab.—On Chondrus crispus and other seaweeds at Gorleston (Ellis) ; common everywhere on Fucus, See. FAMILY Vesicularia spinosa, Linn. "} Amathia lendigera, Linn. J

VESICULARIIDJE. Found

off H a r

^ich

F A M I L Y TR ITICELLID/E. Triticella pedocellata, Alder.—On the Gorleston (Ellis & Hurrell).

Valkeria

Uva,

FAMILY

VALKERIIDJE.

Linn.—Found

ofF Harwich

).

m

breakwater

(Hope).

FAMILY PEDICEL,LIN1DJE. Pedicellina cernua, Pall.—On Tubidaria indivisa at the Gorleston. breakwater (Ellis).

RECENT

BIRDS

ROUND

B Y FREDERICK C .

LOWESTOFT.

COOK.

1936 OCTOBER.—Following the sharp frost of the night of 2nd3rd, came the first Redwings, of which two were seen to arrive from the east and others were heard calling overhead at night.

An injured Richardson's Skua was found on the beach on 3rd, and for two or three weeks it survived in my garden, being fed on sliced herrings. A Bernicle Goose, which turned up at the children's playground on the denes and stayed there for three or four days, was so absurdly tarne that we considered it as an escape.

On 1 Ith Rook s and Jackdaws were first noted arriving from the east. T h e first Shore Lark was seen upon Corton beach ; two more were at Corton on 18th, and five on Lowestoft denes the following day. On 20th there was a strong westerly wind and a great immigration of Starlings was n o t e d ; the following day fewer Starlings, but many flocks of Skylarks were Coming in.

RECENT BIRDS R O U N D

LOWESTOFT.

257

A Black Redstart was at the Ness Point on 13th, and another about the upper harhour on the 22nd at a spot where others have previously occurred : this species shows a marked preference for certain particular spots. Two Purple Sandpipers were at the Ness Point on the 25th. The greatest inpouring of migrants from the east occurred on the 29th, when Skylarhs commenced Coming in against a moderate westerly wind just after dawn and continued to do so until dusk ; Rooks, Jackdaws, Starlings and Chaffinches also were arriving, but in lcsser numbers.

N O V E M B E R Ist was a perfectly fine day, with a light south-westerly wind, on which came steady immigration of Rooks, Lapwings, Starlings and Skylarks all along the coast from Lowestoft to Dunwich. A Hen Harrier, and a White-fronted Goose were on Walberswick marsh. By 2nd ten shore Larks were on Lowestoft denes, and two wintered there. Snow Buntings were unusuallv scarce ; an odd one or two were noted during the migration period, but after that none was seen.

1937 : JANUARY.—Fieldfares did not put in an appearance until 17th when I saw nine arriving from the east: on this date arrivals were first noted in Norfolk. Several lots of Brent Geese, hurrying southward along the coast on 24th, foretold the great north-east gale and snow blizzards that came upon us during the following days. A Red-breasted Merganser came to the upper harbour on 3Ist and remained for several days.

FEBRUARY.—7th, our Member, Dr. F. N. H. Maidment, reported eight Whooper Swans, two hundred Brents, numerous Wigeon and other fowl, on the flooded Minsmere Level south of Dun wich. Together we visited there on 14th and found the place literally alive with fowl. Beside the above, were several White-fronted Geese, Pintail duck, Tufted Duck, and Golden-eye.

On the tide-mark we picked up the remains of a Red-necked Grete in almost füll spring plumage, and later watched another of the same species diving on Easton Broad, where thirteen Brents were grazing by the margin. At all suitable spots in the north-eastern part of the county, wildfowl were generally more numerous than for many vears : particularly Brents, Wigeon and T e a l ; several hundred Shovellers frequented Benacre marsh. Very early in the month, Jackdaws were noted making attempts on the west to east oversea journey, and returning inland again. It is usuallv not until the end of the month that weather conditions favour the departure of the Corvidae from the east coast. A Bittern at Normanston commenced to boom during the last few days of the month. Although Waxwings occurred in Norfolk in fair numbers, the only notice I had for this neighbourhood was of one at Oulton.

258

RECENT BIRDS ROUND LOWESTOFT.

MARCH.—A pair of Short-eared Owls nested on a marsh in the north-east corner of the county : just over the border into Norfolk several nesting pairs were reported. A number of the latters' pellets which I examined contained remains of shorttailed field voles, that have been extremely abundant in that neighbourhood. At a recently established Heronry in some fir trees on Fritton marsh were five nests. A continental Robin and two Black Redstarts appeared on the denes on 26th ; one of the latter sang a few snatches of song which, to my ear, bore some resemblance to the Stonechat's song. A pair of Peregrine Falcons on passage spent some days about Benacre marsh : the remains of their ' kills,' which 1 found, proved the great abundance of wildfowl to be their chief attraction. T h e first Wheatear was seen at Benacre on the 28th.

APRIL.—The great ' hold-up ' of Starlings that were attempting their normal west to east emigration on the night 3rd-4th, of which accounts appeared in the local and London press, can, I think, be traced to an unusual combination of circumstances.

T h e sudden rise in temperature over rain-logged country produced extremely dense and wide-spread fogs and, at the same time, it stimulated the migratory urge in the hordes of Starlings which had gravitated to Norfolk and Suffolk coastal districts. Bafflied in their night efforts to penetrate these fogs, they became exhausted and, when dawn broke, they descended in dense masses on several towns and villages from north Norfolk, all down the coast to Lowestoft, and inland as far as Norwich, where many boughs oftrees in the Castle Gardens broke off under their weight.

A Reuter telegram from Amsterdam on 8th reported " clouds of Starlings and Sparroivs plaguing the Dutch capital, littering the streets and preventing people from sleeping by their noisy chatter." There can be little doubt that these were the Starlings which, a few days previously had, plagued our east-coast towns.

Black Redstarts occurred frequently at Lowestoft during the earlv part of this month.

MAY.—The survivor of the two Shore Larks, which had wintered on the denes, was joined on Ist by a sprightly male in füll breeding plumage, who remained until the 3rd. Over fifty Goldfinches appeared about the denes ' oval' on 2nd. Several Tree Pipits occurred, on passage, and one pair nested in a field bordering the main Yarmouth road at Gunton. This is the first time I have known the species to nest in our north-east corner of the County. A local lad found, heaped together beneath a bush on Benacre denes, five Pheasants', four Partridges', two Red-legged Partridges', and three Water Rails', eggs: keepers attribute this hoarding of eggs to stoats, Mustela erminea, L. Our Member, Mr. Jenner, whom I have to thank for a large

ON ANTS' METHODS OF COMMUNICATION.

259

number of interesting notes, reported a Sabine's Gull Aying over the harbour on 17th. On 2nd amongst a number of Yellow Wagtails on the denes, was an undoubted Blue-headed Wagtail, distinguishable from the yellow ones by its generally lighter colour, blue-grey head and white eye-stripe : another of the same species [or race] was seen on 17th. An adult female Marsh Harrier was beating over Benacre broad on 30th.

JUNE.—At least four pairs of Crested Grebes were to be seen about Oulton Broad, and probably nested there. A shot ' pricked ' male Goldeneye remained on the broad throughout the summer. Several pairs of Bearded Tits nested along the Waveney between Oulton Broad and St. Olaves.

JULY.—An adult Little Gull was at the Ness Point on 27th.

AUGUST.—Little of outstanding interest occurred during the earlv autumn migration, owing to continued westerlv winds.

On 22nd a Elack-headed Gull was seen Aying up the harbour with a cockle (Cardium edule, Linn.) fast holding its foot. One or two Little Gulls occurred during the month.

SEPTEMBER.—A Purple Sandpiper was seen on 9th and a Snow Bunting on 12th, both are early records. No ' rushes' of migrants occurred and, excepting an odd Pied Flycatcher, one or two Redstarts and two northern Wheatears between 5th and 12th, few interesting species were to be seen.

ON ANTS' METHODS OF COMMUNICATION.

BY B . D . WRAGGE MORLEY.

ALI. Entomologists agree that Ants communicate, when they are able, by touching each other's antennae. Some people say that this method of intercourse is based upon smell, others that the contacts are simply gestures ; but I am inclined to consider it a combination of both. Entomologists are not, however, agreed as to how Ants communicate at an appreciable distance ; some say it is accomplished by smell, others by stridulation or further methods. There are several possible ways in which Ants may hold intercourse, all covered by (a) Tapping on the ground ; (b) Making and hearing sound; (c) Smell; (d) Wireless; (e) Telepathy; (/) Sight ; (g) A sixth, or in Ants nineth, sense.

Before going further into the question, it is necessary to obtain some idea about the possibilities of these divergent methods : how far, for instance, would vibrations of (a) ground-tapping carry and