for a wide range of plant life, so too does this diversity of landscape 

 account for a pattern of bird life which varies in a similarly interesting 

 manner. Mention has already been made of the Warren, Dungeness 

 and Romney Marsh and these areas, together with the downland, fore- 

 shore and cliffs, provide an agreeable habitat for a large number of 

 species of British birds. 



In addition to this diversity of landscape, the position of the area 

 in relation to the continent and to migration routes must also be con- 

 sidered. Folkestone lies along one of the main migration routes of 

 northwest Europe and, besides witnessing the arrival and departure of 

 many British birds on their various journeys, it also lies on a popular 

 escape route of hordes of hungry pigeons which leave the continent in 

 hard weather and feed in our fields within the few short hours of a winter's 

 afternoon. However, this is a disadvantage which is suffered only 

 occasionally and is more than compensated for by the advantages of 

 position and terrain. 



With regard to actual numbers of bird species resident in the district, 

 over 56 have been recorded. These numbers are increased about a 

 score by summer visitors, and there is a normal arrival in the winter of 

 at least a further 24 species which spend the season with us. Another 

 half dozen or so are but passage migrants. 



Not all the summer visitors stay in the area, though many of them do 

 Together with our resident birds, they make up a total of at least 70 

 species which have been known to breed in this district. 



The figures given are approximate but understate rather than over- 

 state the actual position. To present the picture in another way it 

 may be said that a bird watcher doing the normal amount of field work, 

 could in the full cycle of a year, record anything between 110 and 140 

 different species of birds in this district. Even the higher figure of 140 

 does not cover all the possibilities, for the Dungeness Bird Observatory 

 (D.B.O.) which was established in the summer of 1952 has, in less than 

 two years, recorded over 160 species. 



Rarities like the bluethroat, barred warbler and hoopoe are recorded 

 occasionally, buzzards and black redstarts are seen more often than they 

 were a few years ago ; but the rook and the heron, the gulls and jackdaws, 

 together with the finches, thrushes and warblers are among those which 

 form a permanent part of the bird population of Folkestone. 



For over a hundred years the coastal area from Sandwich to Dunge- 

 ness has, at any rate in parts, been very well known to entomologists. 

 There is no reason to doubt that the various orders of insects are well 

 represented here, but the only order of which adequate records are 

 available is that of those butterflies and moths which are generally known 

 as the Macrolepidoptera. In regard to these, Dover came into prominence 

 some years before Folkestone, but our town as it grew in size and import- 



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