CHAPTER LXVII 



THE STORK, SPOONBILL, AND SHELDUCK 



The stork is a legend of the Broadland to most men, for 

 on all sides old gunners and marshmen tell you such things 

 as follow : — 



" I seed one many year ago a-setting on rush-hills." 



And another : — 



" One set on one of the posts in the broad, and Olfred 

 went ter get his gun, but that was gone afore he come back." 



And a third : — 



" One was about the marshes here for a long time ; people 

 seed him feeding on pike, and they went to Mr. Booth, and 

 he come and shot him." 



And Mr. Booth's book corroborates this statement. 



The last I heard of as seen in the Broadlands was in the 

 spring of 1889, but never a stork have I seen. I can onl}^ 

 say there is plenty of evidence that at rare intervals they are 

 seen about the district, but to most they are as legendary as 

 the phoenix. 



The Spoonbill. 



A rare visitor passing through the Broadland is the 

 spoonbill. The last I heard of was on Breydon in 1892. 



But most old gunners will tell you with sparkling eyes 

 of the few red-letter days in their lives when they shot a 

 spoonbill ; and one week I heard of five being shot out of 

 seven who were feeding on a dike at East Somerton, one 

 Shrovetide some six or seven years ago. Nor was it 

 strange, explained the old keeper who told me, "seeing 



