THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 826.— April 1910. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK (1909). 

 By J. H. Gukney, F.Z.S. 



(Assisted by other Norfolk Naturalists.) 

 (Plate I.) 



The year 1909 bad not any great surprises in store for the 

 ornithological enthusiast, but Norfolk obtained visits from a few 

 rare migrants, and our county, together with Suffolk, bad its 

 share in the great irruption of Crossbills. 



The passage of Crows, Rooks, and Woodcocks in March, 

 when the direction of their flight was northward and eastward, 

 was marked, but the autumn migration presented no features 

 calling for remark. Statistics and observations on the emigra- 

 tion of birds in spring are more needed than notes about their 

 immigration in the autumn, for we have plenty of the latter so 

 far as Norfolk and Suffolk are concerned, but exceedingly few of 

 the former. 



The principal rarities to be registered have been the flock of 

 Black Brents in January, the Black-breasted Dipper in February, 

 the Avocets and Alpine Swift in July, the Ortolan Buntings in 

 September, and the Glossy Ibises in August and December. A 

 Stork was doubtfully reported in the Wash, but that and the 

 Flamingo and the Snow-Geese at Holkham may have been 

 purposely turned-out birds. 



1909 will be known as the " Crossbill year," for the irrup- 

 tion of these strange gipsy rovers, if not the largest as yet 

 known, has at any rate been better recorded, with dates more 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. XIV. , April, 1910. l 



