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ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM THE NORFOLK COAST. 



By Oliver V. Aplin. 



The following notes refer to the birds seen by my brother, 

 Mr. F. C. Aplin, and myself, while staying at Cley from the 4th 

 till the 14th October, 1887. 



Oct. 4th. Wind N.E., fresh to light. Two or three Grey 

 Crows coming in from the sea in morning. Small parties of 

 Linnets about the marsh, and many Rock Pipits haunting the 

 creeks ; also a single white Snow Bunting on the beach. An 

 immature Black Tern was hawking about over the channel some 

 way up, but all the Common Terns had departed. The waders 

 noticed comprised a single Turnstone ; large numbers of Ringed 

 Plovers, consorting with Dunlin, of which there were some very 

 considerable clouds ; a little party of half a dozen Bar-tailed 

 Godwits and a few single birds ; one Curlew Sandpiper flying 

 with some Dunlins ; one Greenshank and a few Redshanks ; 

 Curlew in only small numbers ; a Ruff, which rose from one of 

 the creeks ; two Golden Plovers on the beach in early morning ; 

 some flocks of Knot, and many Grey Plovers ; a big flock of 

 Lapwings about the marsh, and an enormous concourse on the 

 sands at the Harbour mouth — no very large assemblage seen 

 after to-day. Two dark-coloured Skuas (probably Richardson's) 

 near the Harbour mouth were persecuting some Gulls, one oi 

 which was forced to disgorge its prey, which was easily caught in 

 the air. Some half dozen Swallows and Martins playing about 

 on the outskirts of Cley on this and the next two or three days. 

 Nothing in the scrub except a Wren, which I flushed at my feet 

 twice, but could not get a shot, as it dropped into the cover again 

 directly : as it was highly probable that this bird was a migrant, 

 it was desirable to obtain it, but I could not find it again. 



Oct. 5th. Wind N.E. to E., light to calm. Dropped down the 

 channel on the ebb in morning. One or two Grey Crows seen, 

 and Godwits. A flock of about a score of newly-arrived Snow 

 Buntings, which afterwards frequented a swede-field inside the 

 east bank. Two Twites and one Kestrel seen. Two Herons 

 flushed from the creeks. More Knots about to-day, and a flock of 

 about a dozen Golden Plovers on the mud ; two or three lots of 

 Lapwings flying over. A bunch of seven Teal sitting on the 



