A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



86. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendrocopui 



minor (Linn.). 

 An uncommon resident, decidedly local in 

 distribution, and one which also escapes notice 

 from the elevation at which it passes much of 

 its time. Commoner than the last, but I 

 should certainly not call it, as Lord Lilford 

 does about Lilford, the commonest Northamp- 

 tonshire woodpecker. In the east of the 

 county I should say that there are three pairs 

 of the green woodpecker to one of this bird. 

 Nests (often, but not always, at a great height) 

 in holes in trees, and lays its eggs early in 

 May. 



87. Kingfisher. Alcedo iipida, Linn. 



Still manages, in spite of much undeserved 

 persecution, to be a fairly common resident, 

 though I ought to modify the last word by 

 mentioning that in continued frost kingfishers 

 leave the frozen inland waters for the sea 

 shore. They nest as early as the middle of 

 March, and as late as the end of July, but it 

 is difficult to ascertain whether they are double- 

 brooded, or only irregular. The eggs are laid 

 in a hole in a bank, made usually by the birds 

 themselves, but I have known them use an 

 old sand-martin's hole. 



88. Roller. Coraciai garrulus, Linn. 



Lord Lilford records that one was seen at 

 Lilford in September, 1859 (^°'- '• 253). 



89. Hoopoe. Upupa epopi, Linn. 



An irregular occasional visitor, generally in 

 spring. Five times shot {Lilford, i. 248-52) 

 in Northants. It visits England so frequently 

 that, if not wantonly massacred (as it usually 

 is), it might become a fairly common resident. 



90. Cuckoo. Cucului canorus, Linn. 



A common summer visitor, reaching us 

 about the middle of April, and letting every- 

 body know it. It takes the duties of maternity 

 lightly, and ' farms out ' its progeny to the 

 care of pied wagtails, pipits, reed and sedge- 

 warblers, hedge-sparrows, and other birds. 

 (I once took an egg from a grasshopper- 

 warbler's nest in Northants, which is very 

 unusual, and no wonder, considering the art- 

 fulness of that bird in hiding its nest.) The 

 old cuckoos leave us in July, the young birds 

 often a month later. 



91. White or Barn Owl. Strix fiammea^hxnn. 



Usually called the ' screech ' or ' white ' owl. 



A not uncommon resident, still, unfortu- 

 nately, persecuted by * gamekeepers and ignor- 

 ant farmers ' (Saunders) whose best friend the 

 poor bird is, as it does more efficient work 

 gratis than any ratcatcher. It breeds in April 



or May in hollow trees, dovecotes (where it 

 does no harm whatever) and holes in buildings 

 or rocks, sometimes laying its eggs in three 

 pairs and at intervals. 



92. Long-eared Owl. Asia otus (Linn.). 



An uncommon resident, its numbers in 

 the winter being reinforced by immigration. 

 Breeds early in March and lays its eggs in an 

 old squirrel's drey, or the disused nest of a 

 magpie, carrion-crow, or wood-pigeon. Feeds 

 on rats and mice, and small birds up to the 

 size of a blackbird. 



93. Short-eared Owl. Asia accipitrinus (Pallas). 

 An uncommon winter visitor (though a few 



remain and breed in the fens) arriving about 

 the full moon in October and frequenting 

 open ground, not woods ; feeds on rats, mice, 

 and small birds, fish, and occasionally insects. 



94. Tawny Owl. Symium aluco (Linn.). 



A not uncommon resident, breeding in 

 hollow or ivy-covered trees as a rule, laying 

 its eggs as early as the middle of March or as 

 late as July, though it is not known that it is 

 double-brooded ; frequents woods, and feeds 

 on rats, mice, moles, small birds and fish. 



95. Little Owl. Athene noctua (Scopoli). 



A resident, originally imported and turned 

 out by the late Lord Lilford on his estate, 

 and now thoroughly established. It has been 

 massacred as far from Lilford as Earl's Barton. 

 A useful bird — as it lives largely on mice and 

 rats, but also eats small birds and insects — yet 

 many are murdered, on the senseless principle 

 of killing any unfamiliar visitor. 



96. Scops-Owl. Scops giu (Scopoli). 



A very rare visitor to Britain, of which a 

 doubtful occurrence at Duddington is to be 

 found in Lilford (i. 57). 



97. Marsh-Harrier. Circus aruginosus (Linn). 

 The bird seen by Lord Lilford near Aid- 

 winkle {Lilford, i. 44) remains the only record 

 for Northamptonshire. 



98. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus (Linn.). 

 Of this there is only one occurrence on 



record, the one shot at Collyweston, September, 

 1890, but others have been seen at different 

 times. 



99. Montagu's Harrier. Circus cineraceus 



(Montagu). 

 A summer visitor, of which also but one 

 Northamptonshire specimen is on record, shot 

 at Thorpe Waterville, August 31st, 1894. 

 A few pairs still make heroic efforts to breed 

 in a few of the eastern and southern counties, 

 but without much success. 



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