A HISTORY OF KENT 



turned to till the following morning. The 

 starling in the meantime fills the newly- 

 drilled hole with straw and takes possession 

 of the nest-site. 



105. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dencho- 



copus major (Linn.) 

 Locally, Magpie Galley-bird, Galley-Magpie, 

 French Magpie. 

 Found in the wooded districts, but sparingly 

 distributed. Certain woods in the Cranbrook 

 district are never without a pair. Partial 

 migrations occur in October, the birds bred 

 in a district not remaining throughout the 

 winter, but returning in March to their old 

 haunts, where I have taken nests several years 

 in succession. 



1 06. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- 



copus minor (Linn.) 

 A resident, but sparingly distributed. In 

 spring its peculiar drilling tap against the 

 trees is occasionally heard. It is a difficult 

 bird to observe, and this is the only time of 

 the year its distribution can be arrived at. 

 Owing to its shy habits this woodpecker 

 is more common in some districts than it 

 appears to be. 



107. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. 



A resident, distributed along our trout 

 streams and rivers. A few years ago it was 

 getting scarce, but its numbers have since 

 rallied. In severe winters our resident birds 

 are augmented by migrants, and I am sorry 

 to say numbers are killed. Every December 

 Mr. Springett, the taxidermist of Cranbrook, 

 has sent him quite a number of these 

 birds by the local farmers. In summer, 

 during severe droughts, and in autumn, partial 

 migrations occur to our marsh land in the 

 vicinity of the sea-coast. I have found its 

 nest on several occasions near Cranbrook. 



108. Roller. Coracias garrulusy hinn. 



A rare migrant in spring and autumn. A 

 roller was taken alive on the Rainham marshes 

 on 8 November 1888. I have examined 

 this specimen, which is in the collection of 

 Mr. Prentis. 



109. Bee-eater. Merops apiaster, Linn. 



A rare summer visitor. There is a speci- 

 men in the Plomley collection from Lydd in 

 1844. 



1 10. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. 



An irregular migrant, generally noticed in 

 spring, but sometimes in autumn and even in 

 winter. The individuals which appear on 

 our coasts are invariably shot, otherwise there 



is not a doubt tiiey would breed in the county. 

 I have no direct evidence of this species 

 having nested in Kent, although it has done 

 so in Sussex. On 12 May 186 1 an adult 

 female was taken on Plumstead Common with 

 ovaries fully developed. 



111. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus, Linn. 



A well distributed summer migrant, its 

 numbers var}'ing however in different years 

 according to the abundance of insect life. In 

 his ' Notes on the birds observed at Rainham,' 

 Zoologist, March 1865, Mr. Power writes: 

 'In this district, the number of cuckoos varies 

 with the presence or absence of a caterpillar 

 that feeds upon the gooseberry leaves. In 

 some seasons, these caterpillars infest the 

 bushes in myriads, and at such times the 

 cuckoos abound in the plantations. About 

 the beginning of July, the cuckoos collect in 

 the plantations near the river Medway, and 

 often take long flights out over the marshes, 

 on which they sometimes settle to feed upon 

 a species of caterpillar at this time to be found 

 on the marsh plants.' At the end of July 

 the cuckoos commence to leave the county, 

 the old birds departing first, 



112. White or Barn Owl. Strix fammea, 



Linn. 



A common resident. The numbers of our 



home birds are augmented in late autumn by 



migrants. Numbers are caught at this time 



of the year and sent to the local bird stuflFers. 



113. Long-eared Owl. Asia otus {L'mn.) 

 Very locally distributed in the wooded 



districts. More an autumn migrant than a 

 resident. 



114. Short - eared Owl. Asio accipitrinus 



(Pallas) 

 An autumn migrant. Frequently observed 

 on our marsh lands. I have had specimens 

 from the low-lying ground near Ashford. It 

 has bred near Rainham {Birds of Rainham, 

 Prentis, p. 16). 



115. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco {h'mn.) 

 Locally distributed in our woods, but by 



no means common. All the specimens I 

 have seen from Kent are the ash-grey variety. 

 In some localities it has greatly increased, the 

 red and brown phases being the commonest 

 by far. 



116. Tentjmalm's Owl. Nyctala tengmalmi 



(J.>. Gmelin) 

 Very rare. There are two recorded oc- 

 currences: one in May 1836 (Yarrell, History 

 of British Birds, ed. 3, i. 163); one, Dartford, 



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