ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORFOLK. 127 



March. 

 6th. — Grey Shrike at Brunstead (Bird). 

 10th. — Lapwing's call first heard (Bird). 

 24th— S.S.W. Rooks and Jackdaws flying N.W. (Bird). 

 29th. — E.N.E., force 2,* fog. Rooks and Grey Crows flying 

 N.W. (Bird). Four Garganey Teal — one drake and three ducks. 



April. 



6th. — S.W. A Scops Eared Owl clearly identified at Sidestrand 

 by Mr. S. J. Hoare ; it allowed close inspection, even at a distance 

 of only a few feet, being probably exhausted by a northerly gale 

 with heavy rain, which had prevailed the night before, and which 

 may have blown it from somewhere, though it is not a northern 

 species. When first seen it was a mile and a half from the sea, on 

 a young spruce-fir, tightly drawn up against the stem of the tree ; 

 in the evening it was again seen on the same fir, and even when 

 the tree was shaken by the keeper it did not move. He tried to 

 catch it, but it fluttered away, and was not seen again. 



19th. — S.E. It is not often that the Common Linnet is de- 

 tected on its spring migration in Norfolk, though the "passage " 

 is looked for by birdcatchers on the south coast of England ; but 

 on this date many were seen by Mr. Bird on Horsey Warren, 

 going south in small companies off and on all day. He remarked 

 but little wind, though at Yarmouth it was registered as "force 2, 

 fog." Again on May 3rd he saw more detachments going in the 

 same direction all day, and it is quite possible that Linnets pass 

 this portion of the coast annually. 



20th. — S.S.E., force 4. Two Spoonbills seen on Breydon by 

 Mr. Patterson. 



21st. — Young Bearded Tits well feathered (Bird). 



26th. — Young Coots already able to fly on Hickling Broad 

 (Bird). Stock-Doves have now resplendent necks. 



May. 



4th. — N., strong. Some beautiful black-breasted Grey Plovers 

 on Breydon muds (G. Jary). 



5th. — N.N.W., force 4. Four Wood Sandpipers, sixteen 



* I use force 2, force 3, &c, in the same sense that the numbers are pub- 

 lished at the Meteorological Office. 



