ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORFOLK. 107 
But, as was pointed out last year, Norfolk naturalists have not yet 
altogether learnt how winds govern the visits of rare migratory 
birds. What we have learnt is that rain and wind and mist 
and unsettled weather bring birds to Cley and Yarmouth more 
than fine open weather. These conditions delay a great many 
Warblers, Bluethroats, &c., on their south-westerly journey, and 
blow Gull-billed Terns and Greater Spotted Cuckoos out 
of their proper course, so that Norfolk obtains them. When, 
on the other hand, the weather is fine, the autumnal migration 
proceeds on its regular normal east to west course, the travelling 
birds pass high over Norfolk and Suffolk without descending, and 
for the most part by night, and no one sees them. Now 1897 
has had an autumn and winter of quite exceptionally mild and 
open weather, in Mr. Preston’s words, the ‘‘ persistence of anti- 
cyclonic conditions resulting in an almost entire absence of 
strong winds on our east coast.” To this fine weather we may 
fairly attribute the paucity of all kinds of migratory birds, 
without seeking for a further reason. 
J ANUARY. 
1lst.—Two Common Gulls. 
7th.—Shoveller at Hillington. 
8th.—Green Sandpiper at Intwood. 
9th.—Bean Goose at Yarmouth (A. Patterson). 
11th.—Two Green Sandpipers at Haddiscoe (L. Farman). 
13th.—Seventeen Shelducks on Breydon (A. Patterson). 
23rd.—Snow-storm from the east. Partridges sheltering 
under hedges. Reports of Wild Geese and a supposed Polish 
Swan. 
28th.—Good skating. A Little Auk brought alive to my 
brother at Northrepps, and about this time twenty others were 
notified in different places, one of which struck against a shed 
(Patterson), and another was picked up in a sheepfold, leading us 
for a few days to expect a repetition of 1895. Seventy Scoter 
Ducks were shot off Hunstanton; and seventy-eight Wood 
Pigeons were netted at Hempstead, which in some cases were 
voraciously filling themselves with the miserable remains of 
turnip-tops left by the farmers as too bad for pulling, 
30th. My son saw a Great Crested Grebe at Cley, and 
