ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK. 173 



them, informs the subscribers, in an interesting Eeport, of the 

 arrival of both the Common and Lesser species on April 20th, 

 and the finding of the first Lesser Tern's egg on May 12th. The 

 number of nests of each species was in excess of 1911, namely, 

 73 Lesser Terns' nests as against 59 in 1911, 100 Common 

 Terns' as against 73, and 66 Einged Plovers' as against 49. 

 There is another Ternery at Wells, which, thanks to Mr. Hamond, 

 has been well guarded. 



15th. — A Scops Owl, shot at Heacham. I learn from Mr. B. 

 Lowerison, by whom its specific identity was established, that 

 for a month previous its monotonous " kiu, kiu" — a sound to 

 be often heard in the South of France — had been heard almost 

 nightly in a grove near the river, an interval of about five 

 seconds regularly intervening between each note. I am afraid 

 this interesting visitor fell a victim to the irrepressible game- 

 keeper at last, unlike one which appeared at Sidestrand in 

 April, 1892, which was fortunately protected. This makes six 

 reliable occurrences for the county. 



27th. — This morning Mr. Falcon was walking with his spaniel 

 by the Bure, at Coltishall, when the dog ran into some herbage 

 about fifty yards from the river, and brought out a nestling 

 Common Sandpiper, still in the down, but large enough to run 

 well when released. Going to the same spot in the afternoon 

 with Mr. Falcon and another friend, we failed to find the young 

 one again or its nest, but both the parents were there, and the 

 female, evidently greatly agitated by our presence, perched 

 repeatedly on trees near by, even on branches as high as twenty- 

 five feet from the ground, uttering all the while a piping cry, 

 which we took to be a note of warning to the young to keep 

 where they were hidden. Although a few Common Sandpipers 

 generally stay in Norfolk and Suffolk until June, and although 

 they have been often suspected of breeding, this is only the 

 second case in which we have obtained actual proof of their 

 having done so, the first one having been in 1897 at Hickling 

 {cf. Zool. 1898, p. 110). 



July. 



5th. — According to an announcement in ' The Zoologist ' 

 (1912, p. 420), and ■ British Birds ' (p. 122), a Squacco Heron was 

 shot at Horning, but I have not seen it ; it is fifty years since this 



