BIRDS 



in the Zoologist for 1888 (p. 185): 'Pro- 

 bable occurrence of the Chough in Suffolk. 

 In a migration schedule received this moining 

 (April 14th) fron' Mr. Owen Boyle, of the 

 Landguard Lighthouse, is the following entry : 

 — " April 2nd, 1888. Two Crows put in an 

 appearance, 7.30 a.m., larger than Jackdaws ; 

 they had red beaks and legs, and went north- 

 west." John Cordeaux.' This seems hardly 

 sufficient to warrant the inclusion of the chough 

 in the Suffolk list, but Mr. Cordeaux, who 

 made a special study of migration, and perhaps 

 did more than any man to interest the keepers 

 of lightships and lighthouses in the subject, 

 appears to have thought the incident worthy 

 of record. 



83. Nutcracker. Nucifraga caryocatactes 



(Linn.) 

 A very rare visitant to England, which 

 has once at least occurred in Suffolk, one 

 having been shot at Gorleston in October, 

 1864. 



84. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.) 



This handsome bird is a resident, common 

 enough where it can find woods and copses 

 suitable to its habits. It is not a favourite 

 with gardeners or gamekeepers, and it certainly 

 does a good deal of damage to green peas, 

 but probably the eggs of wood-pigeons and of 

 the various thrushes are much more liable to 

 be eaten by it than those of game birds. 



85. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli) 

 Though common enough in many parts of 



England, the magpie is a rare bird in Suffolk, 

 and almost extinct as a breeding species. 



86. Jackdaw. Corvus monedula, Linn. 



A rather local resident, breeding in hollow 

 trees and church towers. Thorpe Morieux 

 church, near Lavenham, used to provide 

 shelter for a large colony of jackdaws, but 

 the tower has recently been put in order and 

 the holes stopped which contained the nests. 

 Young jackdaws brought up from the nest 

 and allowed perfect liberty with uncut wings 

 make delightftil pets, and become extremely 

 tame, but they are liable to be decoyed away 

 by wild birds at the time of the autumn 

 migration. At this season these birds are 

 often seen literally in swarms, and the oft- 

 repeated calls of ' jack ' from a flock passing 

 overhead have rather a pretty effect. 



any record exists were built in trees, as there 

 are no clifis of sufficient height on the coast- 

 line nor any inland rocks. In the western 

 division of Suffolk it formerly bred at Drink- 

 stone Park, Icklingham, Elveden, and Santon 

 Downham, also at Stutton, Gedgrave and 

 Middleton in the eastern part of the county, 

 the last occupied nest being at Elveden 

 about 1863 {Ootheca fVolleyana, p. 578). 

 At Middleton a tree is still (1902) stand- 

 ing which used to be resorted to every 

 year, and a former owner of the property 

 caused the ' raven-tree ' to be fenced round 

 for the protection of the nest. On one occa- 

 sion some young ravens from the Gedgrave 

 nest were taken to Leiston, a distance of at 

 least eleven miles, but the old birds found them 

 out and fed them in their new home (G. T. 

 Rope). At Lindsey, near Hadleigh, there is 

 a farm called 'Ravens' Hall,' which may have 

 been thus named from its being an old haunt 

 of this species, though the title may be derived 

 from the surname of a former owner. Mr. 

 Hele used to see and hear ravens from time to 

 time at Aldeburgh, but never obtained a speci- 

 men, and the last occurrence seems to have been 

 that of one shot by a keeper at the Tuddenham 

 in west Suffolk about 1888 or 1889, which 

 was not preserved (F. Norgate). 



88. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone^ Linn. 



In the 'sixties' this bird was sufficiently 

 common to be known by the local name of 

 'carroner,' but it seems probable that in the 

 next list of Suffolk birds it will be numbered 

 among the extinct breeders, as no bird is more 

 detested by gamekeepers, and, it must be 

 added, with good reason. The Rev. James 

 Oakes, who was rector of Tostock from 1 796 

 till 1 86 1, was very fond of a pair or two of 

 carrion crows which bred on his property, 

 and never allowed them to be destroyed, 

 though doubtless the young poultry on his 

 home farm suffered from their depredations. 

 This bird is sometimes seen on the sea-shore, 

 and there are records of its migrations. 

 Viewed from below, the nest of the carrion 

 crow is exactly like that of the rook, but is 

 more warmly lined with wool and fur, and 

 the eggs are rather larger, and as a rule, more 

 richly coloured. In a full clutch of five 

 crow's eggs there is usually an 'odd egg,* 

 much lighter in colour than the rest, and some- 

 times a nestful of eggs is found much resem- 

 bling large eggs of the jackdaw. 



87. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 89. Hooded Crow. Corvus cornix, Linn. 



This splendid bird is now quite extinct as Loca/iy, Royston Crow, 



a resident, and very rare even as a visitant. Near the coast this bird is a common win- 



All the ravejjs' nests in the county of which ter migrant, which may often be seen in 



189 



