A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



amongst the reeds in the most inaccessible 

 parts of the fen. 



155. Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea, hinn. 

 The purple heron has been met with seve- 

 ral times in Norfolk, but I believe always in 

 immature plumage. 



I 56. Squacco Heron. Ardea ralloides, Scopoli. 

 And adult male squacco heron was killed 

 at Surlingham on June 26th, 1863. A few 

 others have been recorded, all but one (of 

 which the exact date was doubtful) in the 

 summer months. 



157- Night-Heron. Nycticorax grUeus {h\nn.). 



The night-heron has been killed in Norfolk 

 more than a dozen times, the last at RoUesby 

 on November 8th, 1899. 



Mr. Stevenson included the great white 

 heron, little egret, and bufF-backed heron in 

 the Birds of Norfolk on what is now considered 

 doubtful evidence. 



158. Little Bittern. Jrdetta minuta (Linn.). 

 This is an occasional visitant to the broads 



in summer, where there is no doubt it for- 

 merly bred, and there is strong presumptive 

 evidence of its having done so on two occa- 

 sions in recent years. On July 3rd, 1893, 

 also two males in full plumage were shot at 

 Rollesby, but no nest was found. It was also 

 heard at Saham Toney in June, 1894, and 

 again in July, 1896. 



159. Bittern. Botaurus stellarh (Linn.). 



This species was at the beginning of the 

 century a very abundant inhabitant of the 

 broads and fens of Norfolk, but must now be 

 regarded as a somewhat frequent winter mi- 

 grant, the past winter (i 899-1 900) having 

 been unusually productive. It doubtless 

 nested freely in suitable localities, and even 

 now would probably do so if not molested, as 

 it shows a disposition to stay late in spring. 

 The last nest was found on March 30th, 

 1868, and a very young bird was caught alive 

 on May 25 th of the same year and in the 

 same locality. The breeding ' boom ' was 

 heard in the last week in May, 1886, at 

 Sutton Broad, and on August loth a young 

 female, with down still adhering to some of 

 its feathers, was killed at Ludham, probably 

 the offspring of the bird heard in the spring. 



160. White Stork. Ciconia alba, Bechstein. 

 The white stork occurs in Norfolk as an 



occasional spring or autumn straggler. At 

 least twenty-four instances are on record. 



161. Black Stork. Ciconia nigra (Linn.). 

 The black stork is a very rare summer 



visitant here. Not more than three occur- 

 rences have been recorded, the last on April 

 23rd, 1 888. 



162. Glossy Ibis. Plegadis fa/cine/lus (Linn.). 



This bird must be looked on as a rare 

 straggler in Norfolk. Possibly it was more 

 frequently met with in the past. Mr. Lub- 

 bock states, on the authority of his friend, 

 Mr. Girdlestone, that forty years before the 

 year 1824 these birds were not so scarce as 

 at the time he wrote, and were known to the 

 Lynn gunners as the ' black curlew.' 



163. Spoonbill. Platalea leucorodia, Linn. 



An annual summer visitant, especially to 

 Breydon, where small flocks are seen every 

 spring. Mr. Gurney estimates that in the 

 twelve summers ending 1898, ninety-three 

 spoonbills visited Breydon, and that, thanks 

 to the watcher of the Protection Society, 

 nearly all of them escaped. Six frequented 

 the Breydon mud-flats for several days in 

 May, 1899. Sir Thomas Browne says, 'they 

 formerly built in the Hernery at Claxton and 

 Reedham ; and now at Trimley in Suffolk.' 



164. Grey Lag-Goose. Anser cinereus^yisyer. 



Formerly an inhabitant of the fens in the 

 south-west part of the county, but is now 

 only a rare and occasional winter visitor. 



165. White-fronted Goose. Amer albifrom 



(Scopoli). 

 The white-fronted goose is by no means a 

 common species here, and is of very uncer- 

 tain occurrence. 



166. Bean-Goose. Amer ugetem (Gmelin). 



This is also a winter visitor of xmcertain 

 appearance. Mr. Booth considers this the 

 most abundant species 

 Norfolk. 



167. 



on the east coast of 



Pink-footed Goose. Amer brachyrhyn- 



chus, Baillon. 



This goose is rare on the east coast of the 



county, but its headquarters are at Holkham, 



where large flocks frequent the marshes every 



winter. 



168. Red-breasted Goose. Bernicia rufcollis 

 (Pallas). 

 A bird of this species is said to have been 

 killed at Halvergate in 1805 ; it was pur- 

 chased and eaten by a Yarmouth naturalist, 

 Mr. Lilly Wigg. The species is so well 

 marked as hardly to be mistaken, and the 

 occurrence of other specimens on the east 

 coast renders the record probable. 



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