April 20, 1786
Posted by sydney on Apr 20th, 1786
Slipped out & planted many doz. of good polyanths. Young Geo: Tanner shot a water-ouzel, merula aquatica, near Ja: Knight’s ponds. This is the first bird of the sort that was ever observed in this parish. This bird, being only pinioned, was caught alive, & put into a cage, to which it soon became reconciled; & is fed with woodlice, & small snails. W: ouzels are very common in the mountainous parts of the N. of England, & in N. Wales. They haunt rocky streams, & water-falls; & tho’ not web-footed often dive into currents in pursuit of insects.