A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



1 08. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- 



copus minor (Linn.) 

 Resident and not uncommon in woods in 

 some localities, both in the north and south of 

 the county. It is most numerous in winter and 

 spring, perhaps because it is most readily seen 

 when the trees are bare of leaves. It often 

 frequents old elm trees in gardens even in the 

 towns. 



109. Kingfisher. Alcedo isp'tda, Linn. 



A common resident in the greater part of 

 the county, but rare in the more central 

 portion. An extensive immigration takes 

 place in September, and kingfishers are some- 

 times plentiful in severe winters, when many 

 perish. It breeds in many localities. 



no. Roller. Coracias garrulus, lAnn. 



An accidental visitor of very rare occur- 

 rence in autumn, and almost entirely confined 

 to the southern portion of the county, in 

 which three specimens have been obtained ; 

 only one example being recorded from north 

 Devon. 



111. Bee-eater. M crops apiaster,lJmn. 



An accidental visitor, during the spring and 

 summer months, of rare occurrence, and only 

 to the southern part of the county. About 

 seven examples have been observed. 



112. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. 



A summer migrant, of rather irregular 

 appearance, principally in spring and autumn, 

 most frequently occurring in the South Hams, 

 especially in the Plymouth and Kingsbridge 

 districts, and formerly on Lundy Island. A 

 nest with four young was taken close to the 

 house at Morwell in the parish of Tavistock 

 before 1836. No other instance of its breed- 

 ing in Devonshire is known, though indi- 

 viduals were observed frequenting a certain 

 locality in the extreme south-western part of 

 the county all through the summer of 1899. 

 An example (the first Devonshire specimen 

 recorded) was shot in December 1790, near 

 Little Dartmouth. A hoopoe was killed 

 about 23 March 1897, near Kingsbridge, 

 and one was seen on i March 1900, in a 

 garden at Modbury, and remained about there 

 for some time. 



113. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus, hinn. 

 Locally, Gowk, Gookoo. 



An abundant summer migrant. Arrives 

 usually in the third or fourth week of April, 

 but has several times been reported as having 

 been seen and heard in March. The adults 

 leave us in July ; young birds remain till late 



in the autumn. Polwhele records that a 

 cuckoo was heard on 10 January 1778, near 

 Mount Edgcumbe, and in that month in 

 several parts of the South Hams, it being an 

 extraordinarily mild season. Early in Decem- 

 ber 1898 an adult cuckoo is said to have 

 been twice seen in the neighbourhood of 

 Dunsford, the temperature prevailing being 

 abnormally high for the time of the year. 



[A specimen of the American yellow-billed 

 cuckoo {Coccyzus americanus) is said to have 

 been picked up dead beneath the light- 

 house on Lundy Island in October 1874.] 



114. Barn Owl. Strix Jiammeay Linn. 

 Locally, Screech Owl, White Owl. 



Resident, generally distributed, and still 

 fairly numerous, though its numbers have 

 been greatly reduced by persecution. 



115. Long-eared Owl. Aiio otus (Linn.) 



A winter visitor, rather irregular in its 

 appearance, and rarely numerous, though 

 sometimes large flights have visited the county, 

 as in the winter of 1873-4 ; from September 

 to December 1879; and in January 1886. 

 It has occurred sometimes in spring in the 

 south-western part of the county, and is said 

 to have bred on Haldon in 1863. The nest 

 has also been found in north Devon, but this 

 owl is rare there. It is not recorded from 

 Lundy Island. 



116. Short-eared Owl. Asio accipitrinus 



(Pallas) 

 Locally, Woodcock Owl. 

 A winter visitor, varying greatly in numbers 

 in different years. It was abundant through- 

 out Devonshire in 1875-6 and in 1878. 

 This owl arrives sometimes as early as 

 September and occasionally remains as late as 

 March. It is considered as the precursor of 

 the woodcock on Lundy Island, where in some 

 winters it has been very abundant. Mr. 

 F. H. Carruthers Gould found its nest near 

 Braunton, containing three young birds and an 

 infertile egg, in the spring of 1893. 



117. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco {Linn.) 

 Locally, Brown Owl, Wood Owl. 



Resident and generally distributed in wooded 

 districts throughout the county, in spite of 

 keepers and their cruel pole-traps. 



118. Little Owl. Athene noctua (Scopoli) 

 An accidental visitor of very rare and 



doubtful occurrence in a really wild state, 

 being often imported and kept in captivity as 

 an amusing pet, and sometimes turned loose. 



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