NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM SUFFOLK. 331 



but in the case of a comparatively wide sheet of water they soon 

 turn round and make for land again. 



23rd. Again saw a Painted Lady. A Sky Lark was singing 

 to-night as late as 8.32 p.m. 



25th. Until this date I had, since coming here, neither seen 

 nor heard an Owl of any kind ; but to-night, at about a quarter 

 past nine, had the good fortune to fall in with a pair of these 

 interesting birds. They were sailing about at the edge of 

 Iken wood, returning every now and then to perch in the trees, 

 and though I watched them for about ten minutes, during which 

 time one of them came several times within a few yards of my 

 head, I could not make out the species with certainty. They 

 always kept above me, shewing dark against the sky ; the facial 

 disk, however, was discernible and appeared well developed. 

 Both birds kept uttering a short, squeaking, and slightly ascending 

 note, like the noise made by a wheel-barrow wanting grease. 

 From their actions I am inclined to think they were Long-eared 

 Owls, though I never before heard that species make this 

 squeaking cry. This bird would, I think, be fairly common here 

 if game-preservers would only give it a chance, instead of allowing 

 their keepers, as is too often the case, to harass and destroy Owls 

 of all kinds. I only wish I could have impressed upon these 

 beautiful birds the desirability of moving on. If they stop here 

 their fate is sealed. There is, not far from here, one small estate 

 where game is scarcely preserved at all — would there were more ! 

 — here there are a few plantations, chiefly of firs, well suited to the 

 requirements of the Long-eared Owl. Near one of these I lately 

 had the pleasure of watching two of these birds for several nights. 

 I think there can be little doubt that they were a pair, and as 

 this happened during mid-winter, it looks as if this species, like 

 the Bullfinch and some other birds, were accustomed to pair for 

 life. I often see the Stonechat here, in pairs, throughout the 

 winter. 



While walking along the " river wall," sometime this spring, 

 I surprised a young Bedshank among some rushes at the water's 

 brink, at a place where the saltings are cut off from the wall by a 

 widish channel. The bird, which appeared almost old enough to 

 fly, immediately took to the water and swam out to the saltings. 

 Though this species is well known to be an expert swimmer, 

 I have only once before seen it make use of this accomplishment. 



