ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK. 165 



Subsequently Mr. Tracey was told by the gamekeeper of bis 

 having seen broods of young Crossbills being fed by the parent 

 birds in April at the same place where the nest was. A nest 

 was also found at Swannington, near Attleborough, on April 

 16th, by Mr. W. G. Clarke, almost at the end of a Scotch-fir 

 branch, some twenty-five feet from the ground. 



Chief Rarities. — The principal rarities for the year were a 

 Koller and a Biuethroat in May, a Black-headed Wagtail in 

 June, a Common Crane and a Caspian Tern in August, and a 

 Tawny Pipit and Yellow-browed Warbler in September. In 

 February a Little Owl was caught at Costessey, in a rabbit-trap 

 (E. Eoberts), and during the autumn Mr. E. Clarke, of Snettis- 

 ham, received no fewer than six Little Owls. It is a pity that 

 people should be at the expense of turning out these engaging 

 birds merely to have them killed b}'- the irrepressible game- 

 keeper, 



Eainfall, as registered by Mr. A. W. Preston : Total for 1910, 

 31*84 in., above the Norfolk average by 6*09 in. (four inches 

 more than last year). Prevailing direction of wind, west. 



January. 



1st. — A raw day ; nothing to remark upon except the un- 

 pleasant weather. My nearest neighbour's drake Teal died, 

 aged nine years ; as a rule pinioned wildfowl do not mind cold 

 if they are well and frequently fed. On the same pond there is 

 a Pochard drake more than fifteen years old. 



22nd. — A heavy fall of snow, lying to the depth of five inches 

 on the level. 



23rd. — Yesterday's fall of snow had its expected effect on 

 bird-life. Many Starlings were to be seen on the move, flocks 

 of them hurrying somewhere, and frozen-out Otters lost no time 

 in making their way down-stream. One result of this sharp 

 weather was the very unusual advent of a flock of twenty-five 

 Dunlin to Eaton Common, the largest company I have met with 

 on an inland river. They were feeding greedily, with a score of 

 very tame Snipe, at a place in the meadow which had been kept 

 open by an overflow of the Yare. Next day there was a sudden 

 drop in the barometer, and every Dunlin had gone. 



24th. — Another consequence of this sharp weather was that 



