A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK 



A cock bird, shot at Drinkstone in May, 

 1846, is now in the Norwich Museum, and 

 another cock, in full plumage, was shot at 

 Burgh Castle September, 1889, in which year 

 others were obtained in Yorkshire, Bedford- 

 shire and Surrey. This species derives its 

 name from the two white bars on the wing, 

 and was formerly known as the ' European 

 white-winged crossbill.' 



75. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza miliaria, lAnn. 

 LocaUy, Bunting-lark. 



A resident, not very common, but found 

 all over the county. It is essentially a bird 

 of the fields, and only comes into stackyards 

 in severe weather. This bird almost always 

 nests on the ground, and is a late breeder, 

 seldom having eggs before June, while they 

 have been ' cut over ' in August. The eggs 

 are often splendidly blotched with rich dark 

 brown, and if not very carefully blown the 

 colouring matter is liable to be rubbed off. 



76. Yellow Hammer. Emheriza citrinella, 



Linn. 

 Locally, Yellowham or Yellowhammet. 

 A common resident, sometimes seen in 

 large flocks during the winter. A beautiful 

 variety of this bird was killed at Great 

 Barton about November, 1902, the entire 

 plumage of which was almost as yellow as 

 that of a canary. The yellow hammer sits 

 close, and goes off her nest in a manner 

 which at once discloses the exact spot, so very 

 many nests are robbed by boys. It is rare to 

 find more than four eggs, and sometimes a 

 spotless variety is met with, much resembling 

 pale eggs of the wheatear. Further evidence 

 seems desirable before adding the cirl bunting 

 [E. cirlus) to the Suffolk list, as although 

 two were caught ' on Breydon marshes ' early 

 in 1888, of which the identity is beyond 

 question, they may have been taken in either 

 Norfolk or Suffolk. In size the cirl bunting 

 is a trifle smaller than the yellow hammer, the 

 cock has a black throat, and both sexes are 

 without the warm rusty red on the lower 

 back. 



77. Ortolan Bunting. Emberiza hortulana, 



Linn. 

 A very rare visitant, of which a specimen 

 killed near Lowestoft in May, 1859, seems 

 to be the only record. 



78. Reed-Bunting. Emberixa schceniclus, 



Linn. 

 Locally, Water-Sparrow. 

 This prettily-marked species is a resident, 

 common enough in marshes, rough meadows 



and reedy dykes, where the cock, with his 

 handsome plumage and lively movements, is 

 a conspicuous little bird. The reed-bunting 

 usually builds in sedge or other herbage close 

 to the water, less frequently in a low thorn- 

 bush or in furze on a common, and the eggs 

 are much darker in colour than those of any 

 other bunting which breeds in England. 



79. Snow-Bunting. Plectrophenax nivalis 



(Linn.) 

 A regular winter migrant to the coast, 

 sometimes appearing in large numbers. Mr. 

 Hele used to find it at Aldeburgh ' frequenting 

 the Haven Sands and generally along shore.' 

 It breeds in small numbers in Scotland, but 

 has never been known to do so south of the 

 border. 



80. Lapland Bunting. Calcarius lapponicm 



(Linn.) 



A rare winter visitant, of which perhaps 

 six specimens have been obtained in the 

 county. There was a large autumn migration 

 of Lapland buntings in Norfolk in 1892, but 

 very few reached SuflFolk. In colouring this 

 bird rather resembles the reed-bunting, but is 

 easily known by the long and nearly straight 

 hind claw. 



81. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. 



A common resident, breeding wherever it 

 can find suitable holes in church towers, old 

 trees, and thatched buildings. It has been 

 known to enlarge the entrance hole of an old 

 weather-beaten nesting-box till it could gain 

 admittance, and can be as easily attracted to a 

 box as the great tit. Though it is fond of 

 cherries, and sometimes adds to the damage 

 already done to thatch by sparrows, it devours 

 an enormous quantity of insects and grubs, 

 and a group of starlings at work on the grass 

 with the spring sun shining on their glossy 

 plumage is a very charming piece of bird-life. 

 Multitudes cross the North Sea in autumn, 

 and Mr. Hele during two hours' observation 

 of in-coming migrants at Aldeburgh on an 

 October morning noticed thirteen arrivals of 

 starlings. As many as fifty have been killed 

 in a night by striking the glass of one of the 

 Norfolk lightships. 



82. Rose-coloured Starling. Pastor roseus 



(Linn.) 



A rare visitant, of which there does not 

 seem to be an occurrence since 1868. The 

 young bird is very plainly coloured, and might 

 easily be passed over alive or dead without 

 being recognized as a rarity. 



The following interesting paragraph appears 



18S 



