﻿THE 
  COAST 
  BIRDS 
  OF 
  SOMERSET. 
  87 
  

  

  fancy 
  that 
  at 
  that 
  time 
  they 
  prefer 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  the 
  

   sea. 
  In 
  winter 
  they 
  join 
  the 
  parties 
  of 
  other 
  Buntings 
  and 
  

   Finches. 
  The 
  Reed-Bunting 
  is 
  abundant 
  by 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   " 
  rhines 
  " 
  on 
  the 
  levels, 
  but 
  the 
  Corn-Bunting 
  is 
  rather 
  local, 
  

   though 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  rare. 
  The 
  Crossbill 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  casual 
  

   visitor 
  in 
  late 
  summer 
  and 
  autumn. 
  Numbers 
  visited 
  the 
  county 
  

   in 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1898, 
  and 
  I 
  saw 
  some 
  on 
  Worlebury 
  Camp, 
  and 
  

   also 
  rather 
  large 
  parties 
  in 
  the 
  Horner 
  Valley, 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  

   seeds 
  of 
  the 
  mountain-ash, 
  or 
  " 
  quick-beam," 
  as 
  the 
  tree 
  is 
  

   called 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  Country. 
  The 
  birds 
  were 
  very 
  skilful 
  at 
  

   extracting 
  these 
  seeds. 
  Some 
  clusters 
  on 
  which 
  I 
  had 
  seen 
  them 
  

   engaged 
  I 
  afterwards 
  examined, 
  and 
  found 
  the 
  fruit 
  neatly 
  cut 
  

   down 
  the 
  middle 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  disclose 
  the 
  seeds, 
  but 
  not 
  severed 
  from 
  

   the 
  stalk. 
  

  

  Starlings, 
  which 
  sometimes 
  appear 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  in 
  vast 
  

   flocks 
  of 
  almost 
  incredible 
  size, 
  nest 
  freely 
  in 
  the 
  sea-cliffs, 
  

   especially 
  in 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  numbers 
  of 
  Jackdaws 
  also 
  inhabit 
  

   these 
  cliffs, 
  where 
  they 
  often 
  place 
  their 
  nests 
  in 
  Rabbit-holes. 
  

   The 
  Magpie 
  and 
  Jay 
  are 
  common 
  where 
  game-preserving 
  is 
  not 
  

   too 
  strictly 
  carried 
  on. 
  Many 
  pairs 
  of 
  both 
  species 
  breed 
  on 
  

   Worlebury 
  Camp, 
  where 
  I 
  have 
  sometimes 
  seen 
  so 
  many 
  Jays 
  

   together 
  that 
  the 
  assembly 
  might 
  almost 
  be 
  termed 
  a 
  "flock." 
  

  

  The 
  Raven 
  has 
  at 
  least 
  four 
  strongholds 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  

   on 
  the 
  coast, 
  but 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  think 
  it 
  advisable 
  to 
  give 
  precise 
  

   localities. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  haunts 
  which 
  I 
  know 
  well 
  has 
  been 
  

   tenanted 
  from 
  time 
  immemorial, 
  and 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  

   much 
  pleasure 
  to 
  bird-lovers 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  spring. 
  It 
  is 
  still, 
  I 
  

   am 
  happy 
  to 
  say, 
  no 
  uncommon 
  sight 
  to 
  see 
  Ravens 
  and 
  also 
  

   Buzzards 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  soaring 
  over 
  the 
  wilds 
  of 
  Exmoor.* 
  

  

  More 
  than 
  thirty 
  years 
  ago 
  the 
  Chough 
  used 
  to 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  

   West 
  Somerset 
  cliffs, 
  but 
  I 
  fear 
  that 
  now 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  very 
  casual 
  

   visitor, 
  as 
  is 
  also 
  the 
  Hooded 
  Crow. 
  This 
  latter 
  species 
  abounds 
  

   on 
  the 
  east 
  coast 
  of 
  England 
  in 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter, 
  but 
  it 
  seems 
  

   that 
  they 
  turn 
  southwards 
  before 
  reaching 
  the 
  western 
  counties. 
  

   Whatever 
  the 
  reason 
  may 
  be, 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  very 
  rarely 
  seen 
  in 
  

   Somerset. 
  

  

  A 
  few 
  Carrion-Crows 
  breed 
  on 
  the 
  sea-cliffs, 
  and 
  many 
  more 
  

  

  * 
  About 
  thirty 
  years 
  ago 
  Eavens 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  common 
  in 
  

   West 
  Somerset, 
  for, 
  according 
  to 
  an 
  old 
  keeper's 
  record, 
  fifty-two 
  were 
  shot 
  

   or 
  trapped 
  on 
  Esmoor 
  Forest 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  year. 
  — 
  F. 
  L. 
  B. 
  

  

  