BIRDS 



only idea is to swell their bags, and who are perhaps not aware that the 

 blackcock is polygamous. The drainage of the marshy bottoms, with 

 their clumps of marsh myrtle in which these birds delight, has also 

 contributed to their threatened extinction. 



Ex'cluding these few species, the avifauna of West Durham is not 

 far dillerent from what it was in past centuries except — but it is a very 

 great exception — the raptorial birds. Of these the peregrine falcon, the 

 kite, the buzzard, the marsh and hen harriers have vanished within living 

 memory. Of the golden eagle as a resident we find no trace, though the 

 name of EaglesclifFe, a village on the rocky bank of the Tees, may attest 

 its former existence. It very rarely passes over the county. On one 

 occasion, some thirty years ago, in the month of November, I was crossing 

 on foot from Teesdale to Nenthead above the source of the Wear. In 

 passing over Kilhope Fell a dense fog came on. The course, for there 

 is scarcely a road, is marked by tall posts at intervals for the benefit of 

 travellers during the winter snows. At the foot of one of them I sat 

 down till the mist should lift, for I could not see a yard in front of me. 

 Suddenly it lifted, I looked up, and to my amazement a golden eagle in 

 young plumage with its white tail was perching on the top of the pole. 

 I know not which of us was most astonished at the mutual recognition — 

 it was off in a moment. A day or two after I read in a local paper that 

 a golden eagle had been seen near Redcar, and soon afterwards, alas, that 

 one had been shot in the East Riding. 



The exhaustion of the lead mines, for centuries the chief industry of 

 West Durham, and the consequent diminution of the population, seem 

 likely to promote the increase of all the feathered tribe, except the birds 

 of prey, in our moorlands. 



What the ornithological fauna of the coast once was may be gathered 

 from the following extract from the Cott. MS. (Grove's Hist, of Cleve- 

 land, p. 399) about the date 1670. 



' Neere unto Dobham the Porte of the mouth of the Teese,' (now 

 known as Cargo Fleet, and covered with iron and cement works) ' the 

 shore lyes flatt, where a shelf of sand, raised above the highe water 

 marke, entertaines an infynite number of sea-fowle, which lay theyr 

 Egges heere and there, scatteringlie in such sorte, that in Tyme of 

 Breedinge, one can hardly sett his foote so warylye, that he spoyle not 

 many of theyr nests.' 



The number of species which may be enumerated as of the county 

 of Durham, in accordance with the custom which includes every bird 

 which has ever occurred in a state of nature within its limits, is 249. 

 Of these the number of species permanently resident or breeding is 105. 

 Regular winter visitors, 33. Irregular but frequent visitors, 39. Merely 

 accidental visitors, 72. The following are extinct as breeding species 

 within our limits, though some of them still occur occasionally : — Nut- 

 hatch, raven, marsh-harrier, hen-harrier, Montagu's harrier, kite, buzzard, 

 peregrine falcon, bittern, sheldrake, pintail duck, pochard, dotterel, ruff, 

 black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull. 



I 177 23 



