The Zoologist/4th series, vol 1 (1897)/Issue 669/Ornithological Record from Norfolk for 1896

by John Henry Gurney Jr.

 

ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FOR NORFOLK FOR 1896.

 

By J.H. Gurney.
(Assisted by Messrs. T. Southwell, M. Bird, A. Patterson, and H. Pashley.)

 

The great feature of the year 1896 was the autumn migration, but before allowing myself to dwell on this absorbing topic I have a good account to render of the breeding of Terns, Waterfowl, and Game. For instance, in May three pairs of handsome Shovellers nested in a certain spot, which I will not particularise; and, better still, no less than nine pairs of Sheldducks were credibly reported to have brought out their young among the sand-hills. I need not copy notes about common nests, but it is interesting to hear from Mr. T. Southwell of a Cuckoo's egg in a Willow Warbler's nest, and two more were hatched off in Robins' nests. Two pairs of Stock-Doves nested in tubs which I had put up for Owls, and another laid its egg in the same oak-tree as contained a Barn Owl's nest. Young Barn Owls bred in May were still in their hollow tree, in the nest, in August, and on one occasion we found them (but this was earlier) sitting on two dead rats. They undoubtedly prefer the neighbourhood of man and his dwellings, as they are also said to do in America, and it must be solely because there are more mice and small rats there for them. At eight o'clock my Barn Owls generally went out to search for prey, and I do not believe they ever brought back a single head of game. The Rev. Maurice Bird met with a Short-eared Owl's nest containing six young, near the locality of the nest of which the late Henry Seebohm has given such a graphic description; and I am glad to say he reports that Bearded Tits did fairly well in their now limited area on our "Broads." There were two Montagu's Harriers' nests, within a few miles of one another, in the usual district, containing eggs; and four young ones, which may have come from one of these nests, were sent by Mr. Laidlay to the Zoological Gardens, two of which were more rufous than the others, and differed in size. It is doubtful if the Hen Harrier has nested in Norfolk during the last fifty years, the supposed nests of 1861 and 1870 being in all probability Montagu's; but the latter no doubt breeds every year, or tries to do so. The Marsh Harrier has become very scarce, and there probably has not been a nest anywhere in the eastern counties since about 1885. The birds are persecuted to the death whenever seen, but happily I have not heard of a Marsh Harrier being shot this year.

Pheasant shot at Hauling.

Owing to the dry weather 1896 was a great breeding season for Partridges and Pheasants, but Snipe and Woodcock were very scarce. Less than half an inch of rain fell in the important month of May, the returns, as taken in an open place on my lawn, being—April, ·94 in.; May, ·46 in.; June, 2·20 in.; July, ·89 in.; August, 1·77 in. At the end of August the year's rainfall was nearly five inches deficient. All this was splendid for the Partridges, which multiplied exceedingly; so that three guns in September obtained 1005 at Hockwold in one day. Even this performance was exceeded at Houghton and Holkham, at the latter place 1117 Partridges being brought to bag by eight guns; the birds carefully counted, and shot as late as Dec. 8th. In such a year as this the Partridge was numerically the next most abundant species to the House Sparrow in Norfolk and Suffolk; most people would put the Chaffinch third, and I should say the Sky Lark fourth; but after a great wave of Thrushes, Rooks, or Goldcrests, either of these species would be in the ascendant. If Partridges had anything of the Sand Grouse in their nature such a multiplication would cause a migratory exodus. The same causes which contributed to the plenty of Partridges gave us a rare season of Pheasants, and one plump hen was shot at Hading with the upper mandible prolonged to 3¾ in., and twisted like a corkscrew (see fig.). An ordinary Pheasant's bill is an inch, so it is extraordinary how such a growth remained unbroken. Another curious Pheasant, though not shot on the same occasion, was a hen assuming cock's plumage, combined with partial albinism, which produced an altogether motley garb.

Thanks to legislation, our Terns this year had a pretty good time, one reliable witness finding as many as one hundred eggs or small nestlings in a single day at Blakeney; and Mr. E. Ramm believes they were not much molested, except by Rooks, or, it may be, by a pair of Carrion Crows, whose presence I have long suspected there. The close-time ends rather too soon for Norfolk Terns, as on August 1st Mr. T.E. Gunn saw several eggs still lying about, and a good many young birds just leaving the nest; and on the 28th I was given a young one with down on its head. The Lesser Tern seems to leave Norfolk rather earlier than the Common Tern, and very few remain after Sept. 20th. I did not see any on the 28th, but there were several Common Terns left, and one Sandwich Tern. At the close of September, some, following the course of the river, came even as far inland as Norwich. As for the Sandwich Terns, they were again very much in evidence. Mr. H. Pashley was told by reliable fishermen that on one or two days there were actually more Sandwich than Common Terns off Stiffkey and Wells, and beautifully mottled examples were repeatedly seen at the mouth of the Glaven, in pursuit of sand-eels,—an increase which, in such a handsome species, is gratifying.

Arctic Skuas, immature and changing, were comparatively plentiful all through August, September, and October, at or near Blakeney. Mr. Pashley stuffed one which exhibited a perfect melanism, with just an indication of straw-colour on the acuminate feathers of the neck—an old bird with a nice tail. As far as I know, not a single Pomatorhine turned up, unless a large dark Skua swimming off Cromer Pier was one; but I could not be certain, It is most unusual for a year to pass without a Pomatorhine Skua, and with only one Glaucous Gull; but ten well-identified Little Gulls were seen by different correspondents during the autumn (of which five were observed in October), and this is good as against one in 1895, and three in 1894. We ought to have plenty of Little Gulls, because they are so common in Heligoland. As if to make up for the extraordinary abundance of the Little Auk in 1894–95, the two winters since have scarcely produced any; while the Lapland Bunting, so common in 1892, has been scarcely seen. No Eagles are reported, and only two Rough-legged Buzzards, and but one Fulmar as against ten in 1895.

During the autumn of 1896 the following very rare visitors came in from over the sea:—White-winged Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Sabine's Gull, Greater Shearwater, and Aquatic Warbler, all presumably with a west wind; Icterine Warbler, Pallas's Warbler, and Red-breasted Flycatcher, presumably with an east wind; Barred Warbler, with a south wind; and Greater Spotted Cuckoo, with a north wind. These instances alone show how very much there is still to be learnt as to wind influence, and there is no better post of observation than our rounded seaboard for diligently noticing its bearing on migration. Migratory birds which come to Norfolk in autumn, flying against a west wind, as was the case with three of those here named, were not so numerous in 1896 as they have sometimes been. Such birds are undoubtedly always more in evidence than those which come across the North Sea, flying with an east wind. The reason is evident, because if the wind is with them—i.e. east or north-east—they leaving the Naze of Norway, or some more southern place, at one or two o'clock in the morning (or later in the case of the Hooded Crow and Rook), make land at Cromer, Cley, or Yarmouth before any but the earliest fishermen and shore-gunners are abroad. On the other hand, if they come across the North Sea against a west wind, and, unless it be very light indeed, there is a certain amount of labour attending the passage, which accounts for their being seen long after daybreak, while perhaps the flight goes on all through the day. Ornithological migration on the Norfolk coast is an east to west one in autumn.

I think it may be gathered from Mr. W.E. Clarke's valuable 'Digest of the Observations on the Migrations of Birds' that the feathered pilgrims often cross England, and even go to Ireland, before they turn south. Then the direction of flight of these birds, which may have followed the sun in its course from Russia and Asia, is entirely reversed, though in one or two instances misguided Rooks and Starlings have been seen still flying westwards, even from the western coasts of Ireland.

The number of Rooks, Grey Crows, Jackdaws, and Starlings which arrive in Norfolk every autumn is very large, though nothing like the quantities which pass Heligoland (H. Gätke), and with them come regiments of small birds. Occasionally an old Crow, too hungry to wait until he gets to land, catches a Chaffinch en route (cf. Zool. xi. p. 4124), but generally there is harmony. This mixing up of small and great was noticed in our county as long ago as 1660, and is evident still, though there are far fewer Teal and Hawks than there were in Sir T. Browne's day. Of all months there are none for Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire like the month of October, which brings not only the largest variety of species, but also the largest number of individuals in any period of the year. More birds pass our eight lightships in that month than in any other. Although I have had nearly seventy species, or at least their wings, from these and other lanterns, there has never been a House Sparrow among them, neither did Mr. Booth or Mr. Cordeaux ever procure one on our coast. As the past autumn was a remarkable one for migration, it was a good thing that Mr. G. Newbegin consented, at my request (stimulated by Mr. Bray's curious observations made in Surrey), to take observations of the sun and full moon at the Norwich Observatory, and he also developed several photographs in the hope of catching birds in the act of passing these luminaries; but none crossed the telescope. This is the only way in which we can establish the altitudes at which migratory birds fly, but at present nothing has passed to confirm H. Gätke's views. Nevertheless I believe them to be perfectly correct, for twenty-five years ago I had exceptional eyesight, and have occasionally, by looking in the sky, detected large birds on our coast, two miles up, during the migratory period. If migratory birds travel at such heights, and by night, it may fairly be presumed that mountain chains and great rivers have little to do in determining their course; but this does not apply to Crows and Larks, which are seen in great numbers off Norfolk at quite a moderate altitude, and also Kestrels and Starlings. Indeed, Sky Larks may be sometimes seen flying so low over the sea that, as Gätke remarks, they almost adapt their flight to the undulations of the waves.

The past year has accorded Norfolk three novelties—the Aquatic Warbler, the Greater Spotted Cuckoo, and Pallas's Willow Warbler—which, with the Red-banded Crossbill (Supplement to the 'Birds of Europe,' and Zool. 3rd ser. vol. xiii. p. 391), bring the county list to 303. The Red-breasted Flycatcher, Icterine, and Barred Warblers are also very rare birds. The dates of the three Norfolk-killed Icterine Warblers are, in point of season, curiously close, viz. Sept. 11th (1884), Sept. 4th (1893), Sept. 7th (1896); and the four Norfolk Barred Warblers, Sept. 4th, Sept. 10th, Sept. 10th, and Aug. 31st. Gätke gives the former as rare in Heligoland, and the Barred Warbler as very rare, and does not mention a September occurrence of either of them. Both are found in Norway and Sweden, so there is nothing remarkable in their touching our east coast on the southward migration. Perhaps next year they will bring the Crested Titmouse with them, which has been identified in Norfolk already by two observers, Mr. Patterson and Mr. Spalding, in the former case on a small Scotch fir on the Caister road, not far from the sea.

Before beginning the diary for the year I wish to allude to another subject. I regret as much as any reader of this Journal can do, the repeated destruction of Spoonbills in the Eastern Counties which it is my lot to chronicle; but it must be conceded that the Breydon Wild Birds' Protection Society has more than justified its existence, as shown by the number of Spoonbills (besides some Avocets) which have visited this tidal broad and escaped since the appointment of our paid watcher nine years ago. In May, June, and July, 1888, thirteen Spoonbills (including six in one flock on June 3rd) came to Breydon. In the spring of 1889 our watcher saw three, and in 1891 two on June 14th, and one on the 20th which remained about, and was seen at intervals until July 31st. In 1893 there were thirteen on the broad, on April 28th, and eleven more in May and June. In 1894 the watcher saw sixteen, on May 13th; and in 1895 a flock of twelve, on May 5th, which remained until the 13th. There have been eight at least during the present year. Thus in ten springs and summers (for they seldom come after August) eighty-four Spoonbills have visited this one Norfolk broad, which has long been known—since 1851—to have far more attractions for this species than the mud-flats at Blakeney. Surely if our gunners would be considerate enough to let this grand bird alone, the woods of Cauntele (Cantley) and Castre by Jernemuth (Caister by Yarmouth) might rejoice in its presence again in breeding time (cf. Prof. Newton, Norf. Norw. tr. vi. p. 158). It was here probably that in the sixteenth century William Turner, dean of Wells, came to see the Cormorants and Herons building in high trees, but he says nothing about Spoonbills; however, in the seventeenth century they were still nesting at Claxton and Reedham, parishes on the Bure, five miles apart, Cantley lying between them. These places are all within a few miles of Breydon Broad, and it is impossible to resist the conviction that with adequate protection Spoonbills might return to one or other of them.

 

January.

1st.—A beautiful New Year's Day with which to begin the year; weather very mild, and Hawfinch on the lawn.

3rd.—A Grey Shrike caught at Davy Hill, Runton. Placed in a cage, it quickly hung up small birds and pieces of raw meat on thorns supplied it by my brother for that purpose, and then by sheer force of body and beak, for which the shape of the mandible is exactly adapted, wrenched at them, until they were torn in pieces. It lived a long time, but would eat no food at all without first tugging at it with all its might, its whole body working like a lever; it is probably solely for the purpose and facility of tugging that Shrikes impale, and not with any idea of storing up a hoard of food. With closed wings this interesting bird had only one white wing-spot, but with wings unfolded a second spot became visible. Some years ago a Grey Shrike was killed near Cromer, a very pale bird, which showed three fairly distinct white wing-spots, and was perhaps Lanius leucopterus, Sev. Notes were sent me respecting five more in the autumn at Brunstead, Norwich, Shernbourne, and Heacham, probably Pallas's Shrike, which, as in Heligoland, is much the commoner of the two, i.e. with one white spot; but as both forms are found in the same brood ('Ibis,' 1886, p. 32), L. excubitor and L. major cannot be distinct species.

4th.—Red-necked Grebe at Cley, and Little Gull at Cromer (H. Cole).

7th.—White-fronted Goose, Black-throated Diver, and Mealy Redpoll at Blakeney. About Christmas Mr. Pashley states that a number of Mealy Redpolls frequented the sand-hills, but, on the other hand, Shore Larks were just as scarce as they were abundant in 1895.

9th.—A Great Skua shot at Eccles (T. Southwell); a fine dark specimen.

14th.—Shag at Heacham and Grey Shrike at Dersingham (R. Clarke).

17th.—A much pied Moorhen, with white back and breast and curiously dappled wings, its feathers, however, of the ordinary texture, and not hair-like, as is sometimes the case—shot at Morton (E. Roberts).

19th.—Bernicle Goose, always a rare bird with us, brought into Yarmouth (A. Patterson).

22nd.— Shag at Hillington (R. Clarke).

 

February.

10th.—A male Goldeneye shot on the river at Keswick.

11th.—Peregrine Falcon at Holkham (Lord Leicester).

17th.—Mr. A. Patterson forwarded a live Rook with perfectly complete nasal bristles, which it retained up to the time of its death in July, being probably then sixteen months old. Can this bird have been a half-breed? I see nothing wild in the supposition, knowing that Rooks have even paired with Magpies when pinioned.

22nd.—A female (domesticated) Wild Duck, which assumed the male plumage about ten years ago, died, having for several winters past acquired absolutely perfect male attire.

28th.—Three Scandinavian Rock Pipits shot at the mouth of the Glaven, but, though males, they showed very little of the vinous breast and grey head, it being rather too early for the assumption of much colour; indeed, one of them is scarcely distinguishable from a common Rock Pipit. The last occurred in Norfolk two years ago.

 

March.

4th.—Four Pintail on Breydon Broad (S. Chambers).

18th.— One hundred and fifty Wigeon on Breydon (S. Chambers).

24th.— Two Wheatears at Beachamwell (R.C. Nightingale); the first seen.

 

April.

2nd.—Drake Garganey at Hickling.

18th.—A poached Shoveller and a Red-necked Grebe in Yarmouth market (Patterson).

23rd.—Shoveller Duck already sitting (M. Bird).

27th.—Several Whimbrel flying over Yarmouth at night during rain (Patterson).

 

May.

14th.—Puffin at Snettisham, and a pair of Dotterel at Docking (R. Clarke).

16th.—Osprey at Hoveton (Dr. Wheeler), and the same a few days afterwards at Filby.

 

June.

2nd.—Spoonbill on Breydon Broad (B. Dye).

6th.⁠ Do.⁠ do.⁠ (Patterson).

7th.⁠ Do.⁠ do.⁠ (Chambers).

8th.⁠ Do.⁠ do.⁠ (Chambers).

14th.— Hawfinch's nest and four young ones at Toft-Trees (R. Drewell); one exasperated owner of green peas shot fifteen of these thieves in his garden this summer.

17th.—Four Garganey Teal on Breydon about this date (Chambers).

19th.—Five Spoonbills seen on Breydon, and two of them shot in spite of the efforts to protect them. (Several correspondents.)

20th.—A pair of Kentish Plovers at Yarmouth, identified but spared (E. Saunders).

22nd.—Six Grey Crows on Yarmouth marshes (H. Bond).

24th.—At 8 a.m., Chambers, being on the Broad, saw a Spoonbill come in from the south, wheel round once, and then pitch. Though unmolested, and having the whole broad almost to itself, with the exception of one Grey Plover and a few Gulls and Herons, it only remained twelve hours, being last seen feeding by itself about 7.30 p.m. About the same time one, possibly the same, was seen at Cley. On the same day two Roseate Terns, both females, which may possibly have had eggs, as they have nested in Norfolk once, and not many years ago, were shot on Blakeney Bar by a lad whose youth is the only excuse for his having broken the law in killing them. These birds had coal-black heads and orange-vermilion legs, but the evanescent pink of the under parts had almost faded when they were sent to Norwich.

28th.—Grey Crow near Haddiscoe (L. Farman).

29th.—To-day the Scarlet Grosbeak, believed, if there was no miscarriage of justice (see Zool. 1893, p. 150), to have been clap-netted in South Norfolk, died, after living nearly four years. It was always a very tame bird, using its wings very little, and fond of raising the feathers on the crown of the head into an approach to a crest, as it sat sedately on its perch of wood. Gätke particularly remarks on the tameness of this species.

 

July.

13th.—Little Bittern heard at Saham Toney, where its grunting note is known.

14th.—A Golden Plover seen on the Bure by Mr. Patterson at this unusual date.

15th.—Spoonbill seen on Breydon (Patterson).

 

August. (Prevailing wind North).

6th.—Seven Pochards seen at Hickling (M. Bird).

10th.—A Green Sandpiper at Sprowston (R. Gurney), and the next day one in my garden at Keswick, and afterwards some at Potter Heigham and the mouth of the Glaven.

12th.—N.W. in the morning. A White- winged Tern shot on Breydon Broad. This bird, which was exhibited at the Naturalists' meeting, and is now in the collection of Mr. B. Dye, is an old male passing from its summer to its winter plumage, the nape and occiput being mottled with black, and the grey feathers of the back blotched with new black ones. The White-winged Tern, which one is tempted to think might, like the Spoonbill, establish itself with protection, is not, oddly enough, included in Gätke's 'Birds of Heligoland.'

13th.—W. Some Manx Shearwaters seen off the beach by Mr. E. Ramm. Very few Black Terns have appeared this year.

14th.—W. A Greater Shearwater passed along the shore within eighty yards of Mr. Ramm, who was near enough to see the dark brown of the under parts.

16th.—A small flock of Tree Pipits at Keswick.

18th.—An Eared Grebe at Cley (H. Pashley), which I saw in the flesh; very rare in August.

25th.—Mr. Robert Gurney had a good view of the Greater Shearwater on the Bar, with two Manx Shearwaters. A beautiful white variety of the Sanderling, with a little buff mottling on the back, shot at Heacham, near Hunstanton; female by dissection. Much too conspicuous an object to escape.

27th.—A young Turnstone picked up near Cromer Lighthouse, and about the same time the principal, Mr. Argent, caught a Golden Plover; but little or nothing else visited the light, which revolves too quickly to attract many birds. I have, however, a few notes from lightships, to be given later on.

30th.— Wind S.

31st.—Wind S. A nice arrival of Wheatears and Whinchats on the coast, and with them a Barred Warbler and two other birds, which I think were young Bluethroats. This was within a few hundred yards of the spot where the other Barred Warblers were taken in 1884, 1888, and 1894. The grey tone of its back gave it a Shrike-like aspect, as it skulked in Chenopodium, and then doubled back with a somewhat slow and laboured flight. At the same time Mr. Ramm followed a peculiar Bunting, which was probably an Ortolan; so it is clear that the south wind had brought an arrival of foreigners, but I believe it was very light. Three Black-tailed Godwits were seen on Breydon, and about the same time some Spotted Redshanks (E. Saunders), and other Waders.

 

September.

Prevailing wind S. and W. Gales on four days.

1st.—N.N.E. Mr. Pashley observed Redstarts coming off the sea, and a large arrival of Tit Larks.

2nd.—W.⁠Manx Shearwater at Heacham (R. Clarke).

3rd.—Scarcely any wind. A Bluethroat and some Pied Flycatchers seen, and some 250 Gannets at sea (R. Gurney). Two Quails at Pulham Market (T. Southwell).

4th.— Wind W.⁠[In Lincolnshire E., cf. Zool. 1896, p. 436, Phylloscopus viridanus.] Going out after dark Mr. Patterson found the weather very unsettled and wet; while from the mingled cries of Grey Plover, Godwits, Knots, and Dunlin overhead, he judged the air to be alive with birds of the wader class, probably attracted by the lights of Yarmouth. When the street-lamps are put out and daylight dawns the spell is broken.

5th.—Wind S., strong. A Gull-billed Tern almost in winter plumage—an adult bird—having the top of the head nearly white, with darker nape and a black forehead, was shot on Breydon Broad, and submitted to Mr. Southwell in the flesh. I imagine that this summer visitor, which doubtless bred in Montagu's time in England, has not been obtained in this garb before; it is certainly less of a sea-loving species than the Sandwich Tern. Mr. R. Gurney met with a Dotterel in the speckled immature plumage, and Mr. Arnold with a Grey Plover (a species which has been rather numerous) still nearly in breeding plumage. Twelve Grey Plovers and four Corncrakes on a stall at Yarmouth (Patterson).

6th.—E.⁠A Bluethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, and a good many Redstarts, which had probably crossed in the night, noticed by Mr. Gunn in the scrub, a few hundred yards from the sea.

7th.—E.⁠Seven Wagtails and nine Chaffinches passed the 'Dudgeon' light-vessel, intending probably to make the shore at Wells (E. Cole, master). Mr. R. Gurney obtained an Icterine Warbler, which had probably only arrived on the beach a few hours before, as in passing the same small bushes in the morning we had not noticed it there. Length 5¼ in. to tip of beak; weight ½ oz.⁠Feet and legs greyish lead colour. Upper mandible horn-colour, lower mandible yellow. The bushes contained a good many Garden Warblers, young Whinchats and Whitethroats, and one Bluethroat, which, like the other two, was a young bird with a white gorget encircled with slate colour. This Bluethroat and the Icterine Warbler had come in with the wind, and perhaps crossed the sea together, as they were only about one hundred yards apart.

8th.—Convolvulus Hawk Moth caught on 'The Cockle' light-vessel (forwarded). Wind S.S.W. Several Tree Pipits among the sand-hills (Gunn), where an adult Bluethroat in change of plumage was killed. A flock of nine Ruffs seen at 'The Eye' (Pashley), and two more shot at Lynn (R. Clarke). I think it may be considered that with such waders as Ruffs, Dunlins, Plovers, Knots, and Turnstones the proportion of adults to young is about one to nine in September and October at Cley. The young birds lead the way, while the old ones may be the same which, according to Collett, summer at the most southern point of Norway (Journ. für Orn., July 1881), from whence they would soon flit across to Cley; but this is a subject for enquiry, though not an easy one to pursue.

9th.—S.S.W., rather strong. An Aquatic Warbler, Acrocephalus aquaticus, Gm., in immature but very good plumage, with the lines on the back more pronounced than the streak of buff on the crown, shot at the foot of Blakeney sand-hills by Mr. Gunn, was a male, and contained the remains of earwigs and a beetle, no doubt foraged in the Chenopodium bushes. It is the fifth for England, and is a good deal like one shot by Mr. Edward Hart, at Christchurch in Hampshire. Mr. Gunn saw a few Sedge Warblers at the same time, with which it had probably come from Denmark, where Saunders says it breeds sparingly. Thirteen Chaffinches, a large Hawk, and a Death's-head Moth passed the 'Dudgeon' floating light. The caterpillars of the Death's-head had been more plentiful than for many years, and I see in the 'Field' that they were similarly abundant in Yorkshire.^[1]

11th.—Honey Buzzard shot at Snettisham (R. Clarke).

14th.—W.⁠ A White-headed Honey Buzzard, with chest and under parts of the same colour, and dappled wings, shot at Southrepps. This beautiful albinistic variety has occurred two or three times before in Norfolk, and one of them, just like the present example, is figured in Dresser's 'Birds of Europe.' About this time a sprinkling of Kestrels came in from the sea, going in nearly every case against the wind, some of them taking exactly the same line their predecessors followed in other years.

15th.—Wind W., moderate. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., a good many flocks of Sky Larks, mingled with a few Tit Larks, Wheatears, and Wagtails, were seen coming off the sea at Overstrand, apparently flying due west, i.e. against the wind, which direction was changed to north-west when they made land. They then followed the course of the cliff, rounding the highest hills, and frequently resting as if tired. The flocks kept by themselves, and each averaged about thirty-five larks. This movement had probably been going on several days before it was noticed.

16th.—W., moderate. More flocks of Sky Larks passing in the morning along the cliff in a north-westerly direction.

17th.—W.⁠Larks passing as before against the wind. Hoopoe at Caister (B. Dye).

18th.—Grey Phalarope on New Buckenham Common (J. Cole). Hoopoe at Brandon (W. Howlett).

21st.—Hoopoe at Southrepps (H. Cole).

22nd.—Between 7.40 a.m. and 8.15 a.m. at least 1500 House Martins passed Overstrand, going S S.E., all of them close under the lee of the cliff, where they were sheltered from the wind, which was north. Between 8.15 and 8.30 more than half of them came back again in an almost continuous straggling flock. The wind was very light, but at 12.30 a storm arose, which may have been the cause of these feathered barometers being so extraordinarily restless.

28th.—A walk through the bushes at Cley revealed no birds (wind W.N.W., moderate); but in the course of the day a Rednecked Phalarope and a Red-necked Grebe were brought in to Mr. Pashley's establishment, and a boy on the muds got a Sandwich Tern. Not a single Thrush in the scrub, which, at the end of October, is sometimes packed with them.

 

October. (Prevailing wind South-west.)

1st.— Immature female Little Bittern shot on Horsey Broad (E. Daily Press).

5th.—Fork-tailed Petrel on Breydon (Sir S. Crossley).

12th.—N.⁠A Sabine's Gull, in the same state of plumage as those shot in Wales, and possibly a remnant of that flock, killed at Cley (H. Pashley). October is always the month in which it comes to Norfolk (see Col. Feilden's remarks, Norf. Norw. tr. v. p. 421).

18th.—A Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Coccystes glandarius, immature, with dark crown, rich buff chest, and very little crest, shot between Caister and Yarmouth golf-house. This bird (minus its tail, which was unfortunately scattered to the winds) was bought by Mr. E.C. Saunders, who forwarded the body. It was a male, with single-notched sternum, and with a simple projecting manubrium, very like our Common Cuckoo. The gizzard and œsophagus, which seemed very dilatable, contained fragments of black insects with yellow lines upon them, identified, after some trouble, by Messrs. R. McLachlan and C.O. Waterhouse as the larvæ of Pygæra bucephala, the Buff-tip Moth. This Cuckoo had probably come over the day before, when the wind was from the north, and most likely from the same place as the Macqueen's Bustard which was shot at Humber-mouth (also on the 18th), and perhaps from the Don or Volga. Or both of them may have come on the 16th, when there was wind amounting to a gale from the north-east, and this latter supposition is the more probable; while the Courser shot in Jersey on the 19th may have been of the party, in which case it is probably Cursorias bogolubovi, subspecies. There was a rush at Flamborough Head lighthouse on the night of the 16th, continuing to 4 a.m. on the 17th ('Naturalist,' 1897, p. 13).

19th.—Sclavonian Grebe at Yarmouth (E. Saunders). Numbers of Robins on the coast (Gunn); about this time there were thousands at Spurn Point (J. Cordeaux).

20th.—Mr. H. Pashley received a Black Redstart.

22nd.—N.W.⁠Wood Lark and Shore Larks seen near Cley. Six Goldcrests on board 'The Cockle' light-vessel (Johnson).

23rd.—Two Velvet Scoters seen at sea by Mr. Gunn.

25th.—Grey Phalarope in a dyke quite in the town of Yarmouth (E. Saunders).

27th.— W.⁠Goldcrests, Starlings, and Sky Larks passed 'The Cockle' light-vessel, going west; fifty Scoters going east (J.H. Johnson).

30th.— N.W. in the early morning, afterwards N. to N.E.

31st.— N.E.⁠Mr. E. Ramm shot a very small bird, as recorded by Mr. Southwell (Zool. p. 8), which, from the exact description in Gätke's 'Birds of Heligoland,' pp. 294, 295, was soon identified as Pallas's Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus, Pall.

 

'Pallas's Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus.

 

For other synonyms see 'Catalogue of Birds in B.M.' v. p. 71. The Norfolk Pallas's Warbler is a little smaller than the Yellow-browed Warbler, P. superciliosus. Its upper parts are a rather purer olive-green, and the yellow markings of the head and neck are considerably richer, especially the eye-streaks, and a rather broad stripe extending across the crown of the head to the nape of the neck. The bands on the wings are a little broader, but they only reach half-way to the outer edge of the wing, and across the rump there is a band of lemon-yellow. Mr. Pashley jotted down the soft parts while they were fresh as follows:—Upper mandible dark brown, lower orange nearly to the tip; legs brown, feet yellowish. Length, 3¾ in. barely. Sex female. Through Mr. Dresser's kindness I am able to give a representation, the size of life, from a drawing prepared for the 'Birds of Europe,' Supp.

In October a perfectly white Long-tailed Titmouse was sent to Mr. W. Howlett, and about the 31st a yellowish-buff variety of the Woodcock was killed at Northrepps, which had the tips of the primaries white.

 

November. (Prevailing wind N.E.)

1st.—E.⁠As soon as it was light Mr. Johnson, the master of 'The Cockle' lightship, noticed Sky Larks, Thrushes, Starlings, Snow Buntings, Linnets, and Chaffinches going west, the wind being east. From 8 p.m. to midnight, overcast with rain, a quantity of Larks, Linnets, and Chaffinches were flying round the lantern of the vessel; many of them striking it, and falling overboard, were lost.

2nd.—N.E.⁠Larks, Starlings, Rooks, and Crows passing 'The Cockle.'

9th.—A Black-breasted Dipper shot on the river Bure (B.Dye).

11th.—Buzzard at Rollesby (E. Saunders).

12th.—Snow Buntings pretty numerous; seen by Mr. Patterson feeding on the seeds of the Michaelmas daisy.

20th.—Thousands of Lapwings near Haddiscoe, mingled with Golden Plover (L. Farman).

24th. —A Spotted Crake and many Water Rails at Heigham Sounds, as I learn from the Rev. M.C. Bird, who adds that two Coot-shooting parties, one of twelve boats and one of fifteen, on this water and Hickling, obtained 203 Coots on one day and 221 on another.

 

December.

3rd.—Two Waxwings at Worstead, and a little later two on a tall thorn-hedge at Cromer (H. Winter). A nearly white Wren at Hickling (Bird).

10th.—W. and S.⁠A young female Red-breasted Flycatcher, another rarity from the east, and rather unexpected so late in the year, was shot off a tree on the edge of Rollesby Broad by Mr. Connop's keeper. Another was seen in September by a good observer near the sea, which makes four for Norfolk.

Three examples of the chestnut-red variety of the Partridge, Perdix montana, Briss.,—one of the most curious varieties in ornithology,—was shot near Dereham, this month, and another seen (fig. 'Field,' Feb. 13th, 1897); its first appearance in Norfolk.

 

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1. Also elsewhere, and similarly reported from Berks, Brecknock, Cambridge, Cheshire, Devon, Essex, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, &c. (Ed.)