BIRDS 



Y^oung birds occur from time to time in 

 autumn, and two were shot at Aldeburgh in 

 January, 1871, rather an unusual date, one of 

 which is in the Ipswich Museum. It is a 

 larger bird than the common redshank, with 

 longer legs and beak in proportion to its size, 

 and has no white on the wing. 



232. Greenshank. Totanus canescem (J. F. 

 , Gmelin) 



A spring and autumn visitant, the young 

 birds often fairly plentiful in autumn. In 

 1880 Mr. Charles Clarke took an egg between 

 the martello tower and the Orford light- 

 house believed to have been a greenshank's, 

 both from the character of the egg itself and 

 from his description of the birds, which were 

 very white underneath and kept up a shrill 

 whistling overhead. This bird breeds in fair 

 numbers in the north of Scotland. 



233. Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lapponica 



(Linn.) 

 A spring and autumn migrant arriving on 

 passage about the middle of May, when Mr. 

 Patterson has seen hundreds on Breydon 

 {Zoologist^ I90i> P- 104)- The young birds 

 come in August and September and are often 

 easily approached and shot, as perhaps they 

 never see a human being at close quarters till 

 they reach the British coast. They are ex- 

 cellent eating and often sold in numbers by 

 game dealers. Most of those which come in 

 autumn move on after a short stay, but some 

 remain through the winter, and in January, 

 1903, a considerable number were shot. 



234. Black-tailed Godwit. Limosa belglca 



Q. F. Gmelin) 

 Though there is ample evidence of this 

 bird breeding in East Anglia till about 1847 

 no record has been kept of its having done so 

 in Suffolk. It is now only a rare visitant in 

 late summer or autumn, the last occurrence 

 being one shot on the Orwell 8 October, 

 1902, by Mr. Hudson of Ipswich, who re- 

 corded it in the Field. Many are imported 

 from the continent both alive and dead, and 

 sometimes unblown eggs can be bought in 

 Leadenhall market. 



235. Common Curlew. Numenius arquata 



(Linn.) 

 Some curlews remain on the coast all the 

 year but none breed in the eastern counties, 

 though they do so numerously in the north of 

 England. There is plenty of common land 

 in east Suffolk well suited to their habits in 

 the breeding season, and it is quite possible 

 that they bred here formerly. Many come 

 in autumn, and from reports forwarded from 



various light-stations the glare of the lantern 

 seems to have more attraction for them than 

 for most birds, as ' many round lantern ' is a 

 frequent entry. Their loud whistle is often 

 recognized as they pass over on migration at 

 night, and Mr. Travis has heard them going 

 over Bury. Curlews vary a good deal in 

 size and weight as well as in length of bill. 



236. Whimbrel. Numenius phaopus (Linn.) 

 Locally, May-bird or Bream. 



Its regular appearance in May will account 

 for the first local name given for this spring 

 and autumn migrant, but to explain the latter, 

 which Mr. G. T. Rope gives as * Brame' 

 {Zoologist, 1878, p. 290), is difficult. The 

 whimbrel frequents the coast, tidal rivers and 

 marshes near the sea and is rarely met with 

 inland except on migration. Its only breeding 

 places in the British Isles are in Orkney and 

 Shetland. 



237. Eskimo Curlew. Numenius borealis (J. 



R. Forster) 

 A very rare American species of which Mr. 

 Hele writes : ' One shot some years ago on the 

 river by Capt. Ferrand, but unfortunately not 

 preserved. A specimen in very similar dress 

 was obtained on the Woodbridge river and 

 was in the collection of the late Mr. Hilling 

 of that town ' {Notes about Aldeburgh, ed. 1 890, 

 p. 98). There is no record of any other in 

 England. 



238. Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra (Linn.) 

 This is another species which doubtless 



bred in Suffolk a century ago, and it is now 

 not rare as a spring and autumn visitant. It 

 sometimes comes to inland waters, where its 

 singularly graceful flight and dusky colouring 

 cannot fail to attract notice, while its tameness 

 renders it an easy and most interesting bird to 

 watch. One was seen on Bartonmere for 

 some hours on 20 April, 1895, hawking for 

 insects over the water like a swallow, and it 

 seems in spring to be almost entirely an in- 

 sect feeder. As many as forty have been 

 seen on Breydon during the migration in 

 May (Patterson, Zoologist, 1901, p. 105). 

 The young birds which appear in September 

 are greyish-brown above and white below, 

 and can be recognized by having the feet only 

 half-webbed. 



239. White-winged Black Tern. Hydrocheli- 



don leucoptera (Schinz) 



This rare southern species has only been 



recognized as a British bird since 1841, and 



was not known to have visited Breydon till 



1871, when the late Mr. E. T. Booth killed 



209 



