The Zoologist/3rd series, vol 1 (1877)/Issue 3/Ornithological notes from Norfolk

by Henry Stevenson

 

ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORFOLK.

By Henry Stevenson, F.L.S.

 

June, 1876.

Pheasant.—A hen Pheasant hatched off her brood on the 2nd, in a nest made in the ivy growing against the east wall of Northrepps Cottage, about twelve feet above the ground, and brought off five chicks, two or three others being killed by the descent.

Hooded Crow.—One observed at Northrepps on the 22nd.

Spoonbill.—A single bird seen early in the winter on Breydon.

Rednecked Phalarope.—A male bird killed at Yarmouth on the 19th.

 

August.

Great Crested Grebe.—By a strange chance two old Grebes and three young ones were killed, at one shot, on Rockland Broad, on the 1st of August. The young were still in the down, with striped heads and necks, either a second brood or a late hatch, owing to the first nest being destroyed.

Turnstones and Sanderlings.—At Cromer, on the 15th, I saw a flock of Turnstones passing sufficiently near the beach to distinguish, with a glass, that they were all in nearly full summer plumage, as also was a specimen shot at Blakeney two days before. Sanderlings shot at the same time and place were adults in summer plumage.

Richardson's Skua.—A single bird was seen off Cromer as early as the first week in August.

 

September.

Nocturnal Migrants.—Heard the whistling of birds over the city for the first time this autumn about 8.30 p.m. of the 10th, apparently some small Tringæ, but very far off. Wind N.N.W., with a dark sky, but starlight.

Osprey.—One shot at Guist on the 24th. A male on South Walsham Broad on the 28th; and another at Sennowe about the same date. The latter had frequented the neighbourhood for some days.

Honey Buzzard.—An immature female was killed near Diss on the 16th. It was said to have struck down a Partridge, and both birds were secured.

Hobby.—One shot this month at Fersfield, near Diss.

Common Buzzard.—One shot at Horningtoft on the 22nd.

 

October.

Little Stint.—Several shot at Salthouse during the first week in the month, and others on the 26th, from a flock of about forty.

Purple Gallinule.—A bird of this species, in full plumage, was shot on a stream near Pinckney, in West Norfolk, about the 10th of October: most probably an escaped bird, but a public notice of its fate in the local papers has failed to find an owner for it.

Mealy Redpoll and Siskin.—Several of these birds, which appeared altogether absent last autumn and winter, were netted near Norwich about the middle of this month, and I saw a single male Siskin which had been taken with some Lesser Redpolls as early as the second week in September.

Pigmy Curlew.—Several shot on Breydon during the first week of October.

Buzzards?—Two large Hawks seen at Northrepps on the 5th, supposed to be Honey Buzzards. A Rough-legged Buzzard was seen at the same place on the 30th.

Sky Larks Migrating.—A very large flock of these birds was seen at Northrepps going S.W. by W. on the 12th.

Magpie.—A single bird killed at Gresham, by Holt, on the 14th.

Peregrine.—A fine bird, in nearly adult plumage, was sent up to Norwich on the 30th.

Short-eared Owl.—A very unusual number of these autumnal migrants appeared in various parts of the county between the 20th and 31st of October, at which time I saw between twenty and thirty specimens in our birdstuffer's hands. One bird is said to have had the remains of a Great Snipe in its stomach.

Shore Larks.—These annual winter visitants, as they may fairly be termed now, on the Norfolk coast, made their appearance at Yarmouth this month in a large flock, of which five, three males and two females, were sent to Norwich on the 27th. Another flock is said to have frequented the beach and "backwater" at Salthouse.

Woodcock.—These birds were plentiful towards the end of the month, upwards of twenty were hanging for sale in our fish-market on the 28th.

 

November.

Lapwing.—Two large flocks of these birds were seen at Northrepps on the 1st, going west, and on the 4th large numbers were observed passing W.N.W., and from their cries it would seem that their flight continued also during the night of the 4th, or at least some part of it. About the 15th immense flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers were observed in the same neighbourhood at Beeston Regis, and up to the close of the year the numbers of both Golden and Gray Plovers reported on the western side of the county, at Lynn, have been very unusual.

Peregrine.—One shot at South Walsham early in the month.

Bittern.—A single example was killed somewhere in the county on the 4th, and one at Beccles about the middle of the month.

Rough-legged Buzzard.—An immature bird killed at Sidestrand, near Cromer, in the first week of November, was no doubt the same observed on the 3rd at Sheringham, mobbed by a Hooded Crow, and on the 4th at Northrepps, all closely adjoining. I have also seen three other specimens, all immature, killed in Norfolk during this month.

Wood Pigeon.— On the 3rd of this month, and again on the 12th, 13th, and 14th, very large flocks of Wood Pigeons were observed at Northrepps early in the morning, apparently coming in from the sea.

Sea Eagle.—A single bird was seen at Sheringham, and subsequently at Beeston Regis, about the 9th of this month.

Common Guillemot.—On the morning of the 2nd a Common Guillemot was taken alive in the garden of the Rev. Mr. Norgate, of Sparham, near Norwich. It was found flapping along the walks, apparently fatigued, but uninjured. There had been much wind a night or two before from the west and northwest, but on the previous night by no means sufficient to account for its appearance, so very far inland, by the supposition that it had been caught in a gale, and so involuntarily carried away from the coast.

Honey Buzzard.—Mr. Baker, of Cambridge, informs me that on the 6th he received a Honey Buzzard for preservation, from Fordham, near Downham Market, in Norfolk; one from Caxton, in Cambridgeshire, on the 8th; and one, same time, from near Sudbury, Suffolk—all young birds.

Snowy Owl.—About the 2nd or 3rd a fine specimen, which had evidently been previously wounded, was shot by Lord Leicester's keeper in the Burnham Overy marshes, the same recorded in 'The Field' of November 18th.

Gray Phalarope.—A bird fast assuming its winter plumage was killed early in the month.

Purple Heron.—A young bird of the year was killed at Ranworth on the 10th. It had been previously shot at and wounded in the leg.

Purple Sandpiper.—An adult specimen was shot at Yarmouth on the 8th, another later in the month at Blakeney, and a young bird at the same locality on the 31st of October.

Raven.—On the 26th two Ravens were seen coming over the sea at Overstrand, near Cromer. Mr. N.F. Hele also records in 'The Field' of November 24th having seen three Ravens at Aldborough.

Sclavonian Grebe.—A bird in full winter plumage was shot at Ranworth about the 14th.

Hawfinch.—The Rev. E.T. Frere, of Burston, near Diss, informs me that during this month about thirty Hawfinches were killed in the same garden, at Diss, where this species appeared in such numbers two years ago, attracted no doubt by the number of yew trees. He fortunately succeeded in putting a stop to this useless slaughter.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.—A bird of this species was killed in the same garden above referred to, at Diss, on the 24th.

 

December.

Common Buzzard.—A rich brown-plumaged bird was brought up to Norwich on the 2nd.

Rough-legged Buzzard.—One shot at Ditchingham on the 1st, another at Northrepps in second year's plumage on the 24th, and two near Yarmouth between the latter date and the 29th—all immature birds. On the same day an unusually dark-coloured Buzzard, supposed to be of this species, was seen at Northrepps.

Gray Shrike.—One of these birds was killed in the county this month, and two others in November.

Sea Eagle.—One recorded in 'The Field' of January 6th, 1877, as killed on the Westacre estate, near Swaffham, Norfolk.

Snipe and Wild-fowl in the Early Winter.—The beginning of November was remarkable for the very unusual number of snipe which were met with at that time on our broads and marshes, and large bags were made by those fortunate enough to hear of their arrival in time to take advantage of it. From fifteen to five-and-twenty couples in a day were, I understand on good authority, killed in favourable localities, and this not only in the Broad District, but in the salt marshes on the coast: these birds, according to some accounts, literally poured in upon us, just in advance of the sudden change to frost and snow, which commenced on the 6th and lasted till about the 11th or 12th. From that time, as was the case last year under very similar circumstances, both snipe and fowl have been scarce, the weather remaining open, whilst these early flights have passed on to the south, to return only in March on their way northwards in Spring. Early in the month wild-fowl were reported as unusually plentiful at Salthouse, and on the 9th wild swans were seen off Blakeney; and about a week later others were seen out at sea, off Cley Harbour. On the 9th a flock of over two hundred wild geese flew over Northrepps, in a N.W. direction, flying high and making much noise, and about the same time I learn that fowl in unusual numbers were heard passing over Breydon, near Yarmouth, but the nights were too dark for the gunners to do anything with them. Inland, and within a mile or two of Norwich, wild swans were seen on the wing, and a great many fowl frequented the low meadows both morning and evening. The great abundance at the same time of Golden and Green Plovers, has been already referred to, but Fieldfares and Redwings have not showed in force this winter, nor have any of our smaller resident species suffered privation, owing to the brief duration of frost, and the remarkable mildness and damp of the season generally.