ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FOR NORFOLK. 123 



from N.W., and that more than once. At first sight one might 

 suppose a great migration was in progress, but it is only a 

 temporary movement against the wind. 



In some autumns so many Books and other migratory birds 

 are to be seen coming in against a west wind that some people 

 have concluded that they preferred it from that quarter for 

 crossing the North Sea; but probably the truth is that it de- 

 layed them, and, had it been from the east, the greater part of 

 the birds would have passed on inland before daybreak. The 

 Corvidce, however, like the Sky-Larks, seem to be in great part 

 day migrants by choice, which the vast majority of our feathered 

 visitors are not. Migration is still a mystery in spite of all 

 which has been written and learnt about it ; but this much is 

 certain — the Woodcock likes an east wind to travel with, and if 

 a Woodcock arrives after 8 a.m. it is a delayed bird. 



We know little of what goes on overhead at night. Occasion- 

 ally the distant cries of some passing birds catch the ear, but the 

 travellers themselves are invisible. If one of our navy search- 

 lights were placed on Cromer Lighthouse hills, and its rays 

 directed upwards, there would not be many nights in October 

 when it would not reveal nocturnal migrants. 



The chief rarities during 1905 have been — January : Water- 

 Pipit (new to Norfolk). April: Snowy Owl. May: White Stork, 

 two Stilts. June : Sea-Eagle (the first adult), nine Avocets. 

 July : Stork. September : Bed-breasted Flycatcher, Yellow- 

 breasted Bunting (new to Norfolk). 



The Pipit and the Bunting, new to the county, together with 

 the Siberian Stonechat, erroneously given in last year's Beport as 

 a variety of the Common Stonechat, bring our list up to three 

 hundred and fifteen. In this enumeration the Bussian Bullfinch is 

 included, but not the Short-toed Lark, which there is reason to 

 believe was imported. 



Neither the spring nor autumn migration of this year 

 brought us a Hoopoe. This bird has become much rarer in 

 Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire, and the same is the case in 

 the southern counties. The explanation of the gradual dis- 

 appearance of this beautiful migrant seems to be this : those 

 Hoopoes which used to come to England every spring were the 

 birds which had wintered in France. Now these have all been 



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