BIRDS 



140. Goshawk. Astur palumbarius {Lmn.). 

 The goshawk is one of our rarest falcons. 



Out of thirteen recorded examples only one 

 has been procured in adult plumage. 



141. Sparrow-Hawk. Accipiter nisus (Linn.). 

 Fairly common with us throughout the 



year. Those breeding with us go south in 

 the winter, their places being taken by immi- 

 grants from abroad. 



142. Kite. Milvus ictinus, Savigny. 



The kite was formerly a common resident 

 in Norfolk, but is quite extinct as a native, 

 those which occasionally occur here being 

 immigrants. Mr. Gurney thinks the kite 

 ceased to nest with us between the years 

 1830 and 1840. 



143. Honey - Buzzard. Pernis apivorus 



(Linn.). 

 This is an uncertain autumn migrant, 

 sometimes appearing in considerable numbers, 

 as in the years 1881 and 1896. 



144. Greenland Falcon. Falco candicam, 



Gmelin. 



A Greenland falcon in the Norwich 

 Museum was killed at Beeston near Cromer, 

 in February, 1848. An earlier Norfolk- 

 killed specimen of this beautiful bird is in the 

 Saffron Walden Museum. 



A young male falcon was killed at Thet- 

 ford Warren in the spring of 1883, which 

 passed into the collection of the late Dr. 

 Churchill Babington, it was in a stage of 

 plumage which rendered it extremely difficult 

 to determine to which of the two closely 

 allied species it belonged — the gyr falcon or 

 the Iceland falcon — but although the two in 

 this condition are almost indistinguishable 

 opinion is in favour of the former. 



145. Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus, 



Tunstall. 

 This falcon is by no means uncommon as 

 an autumn or winter migrant, often in adult 

 plumage. This species bred in the chalk 

 cliflfe at Hunstanton till about the year 1821 ; 

 other nesting places are mentioned by Mr. 

 Lubbock [Fauna of Norfolk, edit. 2, p. 28). 



146. Hobby. Falco subbuteo, Linn. 



A summer visitor which perhaps still occa- 

 sionally breeds here, but appears to have be- 

 come much rarer of late years. 



147. Merlin. Falco asalon, Tunstall. 



The merlin visits us in autumn, and is not 

 uncommon in immature plumage. 



148. Red-footed Falcon. Falco vespertinus, 



Linn. 

 This falcon was first made known as a 

 British bird in May, 1830, when five were 

 killed in Norfolk. It has been twice met 

 with here since that time. 



149. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, Linn. 



This is a common resident, receiving large 

 additions to its numbers in autumn, when 

 like so many of our breeding species the home- 

 bred individuals leave us. 



150. Osprey. Pandion haliaetus (Linn.). 



The osprey visits us in its spring and 

 autumn migrations, when it seldom omits to 

 put in an appearance. 



151. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carlo (Linn.). 



Generally an autumn visitor and most com- 

 monly in the immature plumage, the adult 

 being rare. It is sometimes seen on the 

 broads and inland waters, and formerly bred 

 at Reedham and in the woods at Herringfleet 

 certainly as late as 1827 {Fauna of Norfolk, 

 edit. 2, p. 174). When it deserted the 

 Reedham nesting-place is not known, but Sir 

 Thomas Browne says (circa 1663) that ' King 

 Charles the First was wont to be supplied ' 

 from there. 



152. Shag or Green Cormorant. Phalacro- 



corax graculus (Linn.). 

 Less frequently met with than the above, 

 a few have been killed in fully adult plumage. 



153- Gannet or Solan Goose. Sula bassana 

 (Linn.). 



The gannet is often seen fishing off our 

 coast, generally in autumn, and specimens, 

 mostly immature, are occasionally obtained 

 ashore in rough weather. 



Sir Thomas Browne alludes twice * to a 

 pelican shot on Horsey Broad in May, 1663, 

 which he suggests may have escaped from the 

 King's collection in St. James's Park. Bones 

 of a species of pelican have been found both 

 in the fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.* 



154. Heron. Jrdea cinerea, hinn. 



A very common bird in Norfolk. Many 

 may often be seen feeding together on the 

 mud-flats at Breydon. A list of the Norfolk 

 heronries is given in huhhock's Fauna of Nor- 

 folk (edit. 2, pp. 85, 222). There is also a 

 thriving colony at Kimberley. Lubbock 

 mentions that nests were occasionally found 



• Wilkin's Edit. i. p. 397, and iv. p. 318. 



* See footnote p. 227 anU. 



235 



