A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



81. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 



Never now seen, save as a chance wan- 

 derer. Within my memory bred in several 

 places, but the native race has been utterly 

 exterminated. 



82. Carrion-Crow. Corvus carone, Linn. 



Very rare except on the moors, where it 

 may occasionally be seen. 



83. Hooded Crow. Corvus cornlx, Linn. 



Very common in winter, especially on the 

 sea coast. 



84. Rook. Corvus frugilegus. Linn. 

 Abundant in every wooded domain. 



85. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis. Linn. 



Common in spring, but in rapidly diminish- 

 ing numbers. Many migrants from the 

 north visit in late autumn. 



86. Wood-Lark. Alauda arbor ea, Linn. 



I know only of one instance of its capture 

 in the county. A pair were shot at Swal- 

 well in March 1844, and are now in the 

 Hancock Museum, Newcastle. 



87. Shore-Lark. Otocorys alpestris (Linn.). 

 An irregular winter visitant. Several 



were captured in 1855, 1857, ant ^ 1867. 

 In the winter of 187071, four specimens 

 were taken on Seaton Snook, and several 

 others seen. 



88. Swift. Cypselus afus (Linn.). 



This charming bird was very common 

 twenty years ago, but alas, is now really 

 rare. Formerly at least twenty pair nested 

 in the western towers of Durham Cathedral ; 

 but during a so-called restoration every resort 

 of the swift, as of the barn-owl, was carefully 

 plastered up, and not a bird remains. One 

 solitary pair were the only ones left in the 

 city or vicinity in 1903. 



89. Nightjar. Caprimulgus europ&us, Linn. 



Not a very uncommon summer visitor, 

 especially on our western moorlands. In the 

 summer of 1862 a pair nested in a corner of 

 Greatham churchyard, not far from the 

 coast. 



90. Wryneck. Jynx torquilla. Linn. 



Only an occasional visitor, though it has 

 been known to breed several times in the 

 county. 



91. Green Woodpecker. Gecinus viridis 



(Linn.). 



Formerly common, now rare. It still 

 breeds in a few woods and parks, as at Raby. 



92. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- 



copus major (Linn.). 



Occasionally met with at all times of the 

 year in the wooded parts of the county, and 

 breeds regularly in some few localities. 



93. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. 



In spite of relentless persecution the king- 

 fisher maintains its existence, though in 

 diminishing numbers, on all our rivers and 

 streams. 



94. Roller. Coradas garru/us, Linn. 



A rare accidental visitor. One was taken 

 in 1847 on the Tees, and another by Mr. 

 Gornall at Bishop Auckland, 25 May, 1872. 



95. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. 



A rare accidental visitor. Mr. T. H. Nel- 

 son has one obtained by the late Mr. Gornall 

 of Bishop Auckland, and Mr. Cullingford had 

 one which was killed near Durham twenty 

 years ago. 



96. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus, Linn. 



A common spring visitor, universally dis- 

 tributed. Arrives about the middle of April. 



97. White or Barn-Owl. Strix flammea, 



Linn. 



A resident species, formerly common, now 

 becoming rare. 



98. Long-eared Owl. Asia otus (Linn.). 



A resident in wooded districts, but threat- 

 ened with extermination by gamekeepers. 



99. Short -eared Owl. Ao accipitrinus 



(Pallas). 



Generally an autumnal visitor, but some 

 remain on the moors throughout the year. 

 It has been known occasionally to breed. I 

 once took a nestling which I kept alive for 

 two years. In the year of the visitation of 

 field voles this owl was very common. 

 Their numbers vary greatly in different 

 years. 



100. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco (Linn.). 



The least rare of all the owls. A perma- 

 nent resident. Two or three pairs frequent 

 the ' Banks ' in the city of Durham, nesting 

 in ivy-clad trees in the gardens close to the 

 houses. Two years ago a pair bred in the 

 garden of the Rev. Dr. Greenwell. He was 

 in the habit of feeding them daily, and on 

 leaving home charged his servant to feed them 

 every evening. On his return after some 

 weeks, the servant told him she had set por- 

 ridge regularly for the owls, and that they 

 had always eaten it. On his exclaiming 



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