ornithological notes from norfolk. 97 



April. 



11th. A Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, was seen at Hickling. 



13th. The Rev. M. Bird saw three Garganey (two ducks and 

 a good drake) in the Broad district; and on the 17th he saw a 

 Jack Snipe and found two Shovellers' nests ; and a few days 

 afterwards Mr. Southwell saw several Shovellers at Hoveton 

 "broad." 



25th. A White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, caught at Lound and 

 taken alive to Mr. W. Lowne, had the pearl-grey colour of the 

 back continued to the rump, as in the three previous Yarmouth 

 specimens. It was in very good health when I saw it alive in 

 July. 



May. 



At Scoulton Mere I found that the gathering of eggs of the 

 Black-headed Gull had ceased on the 9th, the take having been 

 about 7200 eggs, a much larger number than was obtained in 

 the dry spring of 1893, or in 1892, but less than half what 

 used to be collected when I first remember these Gulls nearly 

 thirty-five years ago. The price is now a shilling a dozen eggs, 

 and they are eagerly snapped up in small quantities at that figure, 

 none coming to Norwich market from Scoulton in 1894, though 

 there were some there on April 25th from another quarter. 



12th. Ten Shelducks were seen at Horsey by Mr. Bird, who 

 on the same day found nine Kestrel's eggs in one nest, which was 

 on the ground at Huston. Both the number and the situation 

 are unusual. A Spoonbill appeared on Breydon (A. Patterson), 

 and eight Dotterel, Eudromius morinellus, at Winterton (Bird). 



14th. Four more Dotterel at Fakenbam (G. Davey). 



15th. Chiffchaff's nest at Keswick. 



17th. A pair of Black Terns were seen by my son over 

 Keswick mill-pond. 



21st. My son put a Blackbird off her nest of five eggs, two 

 of which were spotless, and two almost spotless, the fifth being 

 very pale but otherwise typical. 



25th. Received a Short-eared Owl from near Bury, a pale- 

 coloured one, which is generally the case with those obtained in 

 summer. 



29th. Three Crossbills at Blakeney (H. Pashley). 



ZOOLOGIST, THIRD SERIES, VOL. XIX. MARCH, 1895. I 



