Notes Wilson's Phalarope in Cornwall.—Early on the morning of 15 th June 1961 J.E.B. came across an unfamiliar medium-sized wader with plain brown upper-parts and a dull white rump and tail, on Marazion Marsh, Cornwall. He contacted Dr. G. Allsop and between them they continued... 183 BRITISH BIRDS watched the bird for about five hours. N. R. Phillips was then told and he and R. Khan saw it that evening. Two days later it was found independently by W.R.P.B. and J.L.F.P., and subsequently a number of other observers went to see it. It was last recorded with certainty on 4th July. It was recognised as a species of phalarope by its charac­ teristic position when swimming and by the delicate proportions of its head, neck and bill, while its relatively large size, comparatively drab coloration and distinctive face-pattern together proclaimed it a male Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor). The detailed descrip­ tion which follows is based mainly on that obtained by W.R.P.B. and J.F.L.P. on 17th June, but the notes made by J.E.B. and others agree well with it: An unusuaEy large, long-legged, long-billed phalarope, perhaps approximating in size to a small Reeve {Philomachus pugnax) or a Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glanold), and behaving rather like those species, feeding mainly by wading along the shore rather than swimming, and having a loose, erratic, wavering flight. Forehead, crown and hind-neck ash-grey with an inconspicuous paler longitudinal patch on the nape. Rest of upper-parts except rump and tail grey-brown, appearing uniform in flight, but showing darker feather centres (especially on the scapulars) on the ground. Rump and tail off-white in flight, the tail actually slightly more brownish-grey but without any well-defined dark tip, Supercilium white, broadest over and just behind the eye, where it ceased abruptly, with a fairly broad, blackish stripe running from the bill through the eye and curving down to merge with the markings on the side of the neck. Chin white, contrasting markedly with warm-buff sides of neck, vinous-buff fore-neck and upper breast, pinkish-buff sides of lower breast and buff flanks, the last faintly marked with brownish streaks. Central under-parts white, and under-wing whitish or pale grey. Eye dark. Bill black, straight and very slender, considerably longer than head, markedly longer than in other phala- ropes. Legs rather long, dark, but upper tibia paler, possibly yellowish. Feet black, protruding beyond tail in flight, the toes apparently slightly lobed. Although tamer than many waders, it was not quite so confiding as most Grey or Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus fulicarius and lobatus) frequently are. When approached to within 25-30 feet it normally flew off quietly to another part of the same pool and sat there, later returning to the original area to feed in muddy water less than six inches deep. On the 15 th it frequently associated with a Ruff and was then comparatively unapproachable, flying up at the same time as the Ruff, but not always accompanying it; it would then even fly high and circle. It usually waded up to its belly,' but swam freely in deeper water, holding its head and neck well up and its tail depressed, the tips of the closed wings extending, just beyond the tail. It fed by picking small objects from the surface all round, and also by sweeping the bill from side to side with the tip submerged, but apart from a couple of half-hearted turns it was not seen to spin. In general its behaviour was rather subdued and it did not call. While it presented no particular difficulties of identification, the 184 NOTES combination of a long, needle-like bill and contrasting face pattern at rest and the presence of a plain wing and dull white rump in flight being very distinctive, it did differ in several respects from the illus­ tration of a male Wilson's Phalarope in P. A. D. Hollom's The Popular Handbook of Rarer British Birds (i960). In particular, the bill seemed longer, the upper-parts paler and more uniform brown, and the neck less chestnut, while the paler patch on the nape, at the time thought to be a plumage aberration rather than a normal character, was much less distinct than in the illustration. The generally drab coloration and the presence of streaks on the flanks suggest that it may have been a first-summer bird. J. E. BECKERLEGGE, W. R. P. BOURNE and J. F. L. PARSLOW Wilson's Phalarope in Nottinghamshire.—On 16th July 1961, at about 9.0 a.m., P. Hope and W.P. saw an unusual wader on the Burton Meadows area of Nottingham Sewage Farm. Later in the morning they met E.T.L., A. W. Preston and Richard Preston and took them to see the bird which was then swimming on open water in the manner of a phalarope {Phalaropus sp.). They all made notes, and returned home to compare them with descriptions in The Popular Handbook of Rarer British Birds (i960). In the afternoon E.T.L. and W.P. with D. J. Young and P. Carr found the bird again, and obtained sufficient details to confirm it as a Wilson's Phalarope {Ph. tricolor). Early the following morning it was seen by Mr. and Mrs. A. Dobbs and C. A. Johnson, and during the next ten days by a total of about thirty people. It was last recorded on z8th July. The descriptive notes below have been summarised from the observations of all those mentioned above. In general appearance the whole bird was very white, this being striking even at a distance and making it stand out from all other waders. Its under-parts were gleaming white, but above it was actually very pale grey with the primaries perhaps a little darker; the forehead, crown and nape were paler grey than the mantle, back and wings; the rump was white and the tail was also very pale; a dark smudge extended behind the eye. It had a slender neck, smallish head, fairly long and very thin bill, and slender legs; both bill and legs were black. It was a typical phalarope in shape and action, but larger than either Red-necked or Grey (Ph. lobatus and fulicarius), being only a little smaller than a Redshank (Tringa tetanus). When standing on the mud or in shallow water, it seemed very tall in comparison with, say, the Dunlins (Calidris alpina). It spent much of its time swimming and held its head very upright as it did so; this made it look longer- necked than other phalaropes and it had something of the appearance 185 BRITISH BIRDS of an immature Little Gull (harm minutus). As it swam about, it would move its head from side to side, or twirl its body in a semi­ circle, and snap at insects on the surface of the water. It actually seemed to prefer the water to the land, but it was sometimes seen on the mud of the sewage tanks or on adjacent plough or grassland with such waders as Redshanks, Dunlins, Ruffs {Philomachus pugnax) and Lapwings (Vmelius vanellus); Green and Wood Sandpipers (T. ochropus and glareola) were also in the area for comparison. It was never heard to make a sound and was always fairly shy compared with Red-necked and Grey Phalaropes, flying off when the Redshanks did. In flight it had a plumpish torpedo-shaped body and the square white rump was very prominent, particularly as the plain grey wings (no wing-bar) seemed darker than when it was at rest; the wings looked rather rounded. E. T. LAMB and W. PRIESTLEY Wilson's Phalarope in Co. Wexford.—A Wilson's Phalarope (Phala- ropus tricolor) in almost complete winter plumage was identified at Lady's Island Lake, Co. Wexford, on 12th and 13 th August 1961. It was first seen by me on the 12th and, as a result of a telephone call, B. D. Cooper, S. Holohan and Major R. F. Ruttledge joined me on the following day. Together we had the bird under observation for one and a half hours. At the end of that time, for no apparent reason, the Dunlin (Calidris alpina) with which it had been feeding began to leave the lake in small parties; and with one such group the Wilson's Phalarope departed and did not return. The following description was made under excellent conditions of light and weather, at various distances down to about thirty yards: Noticeably larger than. Dunlin and smaller than Black-tailed Godwits (htmasa limosa), both of which were seen near-by; about the size of, or a little smaller than, a Redshank (Jringa totanm). Bill bkck, straight and thin—quite needle­ like—and between 1} and 1J times the length of the head; legs and feet looked black, though once R.F.R. thought he detected a greenish-yellow tinge on the front of the tarsus; eye dark. Head small and dainty, neck rather long and noticeably slender; body slender (but in certain attitudes rather "full- breasted") and tapering towards tail. Forehead white; crown and nape very light grey-brown; fairly noticeable white superciliary above "a short, dark and not broad line running backwards for a quarter to half an inch behind the eye. Cheeks, chin, throat, sides of neck, breast, flanks, belly and under tail-coverts all an unmarked and delicate off-white, appearing very white at any distance at all.