A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



246. Knot. Tringa canutus, Linn. 



The knot is a common autumn and spring 

 migrant ; at the former season mostly young 

 birds occur, but at the latter very fine red 

 birds are often met with. 



247. Sanderling. Calidris arenaria (Linn.). 

 The sanderling is most abundant here in 



autumn, a few are met with in winter, and 

 in the spring they pass till the end of May 

 or even the beginning of June, when they are 

 in perfect breeding plumage. 



248. Ruff. Machetes pugnax (Linn.). 



This is a bird possessed of peculiar interest 

 to Norfolk ornithologists from the persistent 

 way in which it has striven to hold its own 

 as a breeding species in this its last resort in 

 the British Isles. Once very numerous in 

 various parts of the county it is now reduced 

 to one favoured spot, where it is possible an 

 occasional nest may still be met with ; but 

 the bird, although it has long lingered on the 

 verge of extinction, must now be regarded in 

 the same light as most of the other sandpipers, 

 that is of a spring and autumn migrant, only 

 ane instance being known of its having oc- 

 curred here in winter. 



249. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tryngites ru- 



fescem (Vieillot). 

 This is a very rare accidental visitor, which 

 has been obtained five times in Norfolk, the 

 last at Blakeney on September 7th, 1899. 



250. Common Sandpiper. Tetanus hypoleucus 



(Linn.). 



The common sandpiper is a spring and 

 autumn migrant not often met with in sum- 

 mer. It has long been suspected of occasion- 

 ally breeding in Norfolk, but such was not 

 proved to be the case till May 25th, 1897, 

 when a nest with four eggs was found under 

 a gooseberry bush at Hickling by Mr. Oswin 

 Lee. This curious situation for a nest is not 

 unique. See Thompson's Natural History of 

 Ireland (vol. ii. 'Birds,' p. 212). 



251. Wood-Sandpiper. Totanus glareola 



(Gmelin). 

 The wood-sandpiper is also met with during 

 its spring and autumn migration. A very 

 juvenile example, presumptive of its having 

 been bred in the neighbourhood, was taken at 

 Beechamwell about the year 1840 [Zoologist, 

 1846, p. 1324 with fig.). 



252. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus 



(Linn.). 



This species is met with at all seasons of 

 the year with us, but is most frequent in 



autumn. Although suspected of breeding in 

 this county its nest has never yet been dis- 

 covered. 



253. Redshank. Totanus calidris (Linn.). 

 The redshank is still fairly common, and 



breeds both inland and on the coast. 



254. Spotted Redshank. Totanus fuscus 



(Linn.). 

 This bird is not uncommon in immature 

 plumage. Fine adult examples have been 

 obtained in spring. 



255. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (Gme- 



lin). 

 Like so many of its family the greenshank 

 is a passing spring and autumn migrant most 

 of those met with in the former season being 

 young birds. It has not been met with in 

 winter. 



256. Red-breasted Snipe. Macrorhamphus 



griseus (Gmelin). 

 The red-breasted snipe has occurred three 

 times in Norfolk, each time in October and 

 not far from Yarmouth. 



257. Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lapponica 



(Linn.). 

 This bird is met with more frequently on 

 the mud-flats of East Norfolk than elsewhere. 

 Although sometimes abundant at the times of 

 migration, it is very uncertain. 



258. Black-tailed Godwit. Limosa belgica 



(Gmelin). 

 The black-tailed godwit probably ceased to 

 breed in Norfolk about the year 1830. It 

 now only occurs at the seasons of migration. 

 It was locally known as the ' shrieker.' 



259. Curlew. Numenius arquata (Linn.). 

 The curlew is to be found feeding on the 



mud-flats at almost all seasons, but most fre- 

 quently in autumn. A pair nested in Wol- 

 ferton Fen in the summers of 1889 and 1890. 



260. Whimbrel. Numenius phteopus (Linn.). 

 A common bird on the marshy parts of the 



coast in spring and autumn. 



261. Black Tern. Hydrochelidon nigra {Lmn.). 

 Locally, Scare-Crow. 



When the black tern ceased to breed in 

 Norfolk is not known, but it must have been 

 very numerous both on the east and west side 

 of the county in suitable localities. In a MS. 

 note dated 1 8 1 8, Mr. Lubbock says it ' breeds 

 in myriads near Upton Broad and the fens 

 for miles round were enlivened by the blue 

 dars.' After an extensive flood in Hockwold 

 and Fetwell fens, in 1853, three P''''^* nested 



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