1938 - The Vasculum

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40 creatures and not difficult to observe, for they have a habit of swimming round and round the confines of the aquarium close to the glass-not seeking a way of escape but because the water margin is their habitual huntingground. You can vary the perpetual circling round by introducing a little rocky islet, but place it near a corner so as not to cramp the movements of the spiders. The present month (May) is the best time to stock an aquarium, and towards the end of the month dealers should be able to supply the Water Spiders. I have found fresh water "shrimps" a convenient food for the spiders. SOME BIRDS ON THE NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COAST IN JUNE AND JULY, 1937. H. TULLY. Abel Chapman in his "Bird Life of the Borders" (published in 1907), page 383, wrote as follows:- "Visit a great estuary in June or July; you may ramble for miles around its shores, the scene of the winter's exploits (and failures), and call to mind the wondrous flights of wild-fowl seen, and the glorious moments enjoyed on these very spots in January and February. In summer there is hardly a living creature to enliven the dreary monotony of the wastes. Now and again the glint of a sea-gull's wing, or perhaps a brood of young sheldducks-that is all one sees in several hours' ramble." The opinion that there is little bird life to be seen on the mud-flat areas of our coast in summer still appears to be generally held, and there are few June or July records in later works by Chapman and George Bolam. I saw, however, a great deal of interest in 1937 when I was present from the 1st to the 13th June, and also twice in July, and the following notes are the result of my observations.
41 In some cases for purposes of comparison I have given quotations from Chapman's and Bolam's Works. These are numbered, and references will be found at the end of this paper. SHELD-DUCK: I saw ten of these birds on Fenham Flats on the 1st June, and 54 on Budle Bay on the 6th June. On Holy Island it was plentiful on the 12th June. Occasional broods of young were seen. Bolam remarked that numbers varied considerably for no apparent reason, and the year 1937 would appear to have been a year of plenty. WIGEON: This bird has bred occasionally at some of our inland loughs since 1912, and it appears to be possible that it is now breeding near the coast. I was told locally that it did so, and there may be some truth in the story, as I saw a single drake north of Fenham Flats on the 1st June; a pair at the same place on the 5th June; and a pair on Budle Bay on the 6th June. COMMON SCOTER: There was a flock of some 300 off Bamburgh on the 4th June. MANX SHEARWATER: I saw a single bird on the wing near the Farne Islands on the 9th June. This species has been seen here on several occasions at the breeding season, but has never been proved to breed. OYSTER-CATCHER: There were nearly always a few about; larger numbers were 45 Fenham Flats on the 8th June, 50 Goswick sands 10th June, 30 Holy Island 12th June. As this bird takes more than one year to grow to maturity, most of these would presumably be immature birds. RINGED PLOVER: Bolam wrote: "Large migratory flocks visit the coast ... sometimes as late as the end of May." (A.I). As I saw flocks of 50 to 100 birds on the 3rd, 5th, and 7th June, I think this migration spreads over into June. Our local birds were breeding plentifully along the coast. GOLDEN PLOVER: Bolam said: -" On the coast the home-bred birds begin to appear early in August" (B.1). He should, I think, have said about the middle of July, as I saw a flock of about 300 birds on Fenham Flats on the 17th July, and these could only have been British breeding birds. Eight days later there was only one Golden on the same area, so this flock had probably already moved south. Chapman remarked of the Golden Plover that "Their southern migration commences in July" (C. 1).
Page 3 and 4: THE VASCULUM Vol. XXIV. No. I. FEBR
Page 5 and 6: 3 and Oleanders flamed out. There,
Page 7 and 8: 5 The reason for this general ignor
Page 9 and 10: 7 The" close time," and the variati
Page 11 and 12: 9 bird's egg, in respect of which t
Page 13 and 14: 11 (g) It takes no advantage whatso
Page 15 and 16: 13 late Town Clerk, Sir Arthur M. O
Page 17 and 18: 15 TREE SPARROWS IN SUNDERLAND. D.
Page 19 and 20: 17 The first feature of the flora t
Page 21 and 22: 19 MIGRANT LEPIDOPTERA IN 1937. F.
Page 23 and 24: 21 THE SOCIETIES. NORTHERN NATURALI
Page 25 and 26: 23 On one of the Whittle Dene Reser
Page 27 and 28: 25 INDOOR MEETINGS. Sept. 20th.-We
Page 29 and 30: 27 of the old iron rails still atta
Page 31 and 32: 29 Nov. 30th.-Professor A. D. Hobso
Page 33 and 34: 31 R. glauca groups turning up. The
Page 35 and 36: 33 Mergus merganser merganser L. Go
Page 37 and 38: 35 MARINE ALGAE. Sea weeds. This gr
Page 43 and 44: THE VASCULUM Vol. XXIV. No. 2. MAY,
Page 45: 39 the word " courtship" as if his
Page 49 and 50: 43 I also saw four birds on Holy Is
Page 51 and 52: 45 temporary "territory" possession
Page 53 and 54: 47 females to one male. The hens la
Page 55 and 56: 49 Minor, Arabia and North Africa.
Page 57 and 58: 51 (c) It extends the close time by
Page 59 and 60: 53 SUMMARY. The Wild Birds Protecti
Page 61 and 62: 55 ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORTHU
Page 63 and 64: 57 cock was singing. The nest was n
Page 65 and 66: 59 and another at Winlaton during t
Page 67 and 68: 61 The third and last indoor meetin
Page 69 and 70: 63 from his live-box to show the le
Page 71 and 72: 65 Feb. 1st.-The Hon. Secretary rea
Page 73 and 74: 67 (V.C. 66). Mr. C. P. Nicholson r
Page 75 and 76: 69 They wander about amongst the ot
Page 77 and 78: 71 Larvae of the November Moth (Opo
Page 83 and 84: THE VASCULUM Vol. XXIV. No. 3. AUGU
Page 85 and 86: 75 TWO PLANTS NEW TO VICE COUNTY 67
Page 87 and 88: 77 remind him that the study of Orn
Page 89 and 90: 79 being neglected as unimportant.
Page 91 and 92: 81 of its leaf-rosette, but, in thi
Page 93 and 94: 83 From the hills to the western se
Page 95 and 96: 85 the "erg" of the ninth son (Icel
Page 97 and 98:
87 signifying sheep-slope. "Hollow
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89 ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORTHU
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91 RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius hiatic
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93 Browney the most interesting pla
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95 faithful services. At the same t
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97 Mr. J. E. Nowers exhibited six m
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99 May 17th.-Two members reported S
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101 A NEW COUNTY FLORA OF CERTAIN A
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103 of these observations, quite a
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105 Curious Pupating Place of the C
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107 Punctum pygmamm (Drap.). 68 Ber
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THE VASCULUM Vol. XXIV. No. 4. NOVE
Page 125 and 126:
111 I am not forgetting that an ara
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113 Zygiella atrica, Philodromus au
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115 THE PROGRESS OF PLUSIA MONETA.
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117 more or less wedge-shaped at th
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119 II.-AN OSPREY. On April 30th, 1
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121 It fed on the stream on the sou
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123 THE CHRONICLES OF THE KING'S CO
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125 what curious combinations we en
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127 CLIFF NESTING OF THE HOUSE MART
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129 The Rev. E. P. Blackburn writes
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131 Arion intermedius. A. hortensis
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133 Mr. J. E. Nowers reported on th
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135 August 23rd.-Mr. R. H. Sargent
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137 the county has been divided. Su
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139 Simonburn Castle, Northumberlan
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141 the three named appeared a sing
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143 Pandion h. haliastus (L.). The
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1938 - The Vasculum

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