Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/140

116 The year has passed almost without a single occurrence of such regular migrants as the Glaucous Gull, Little Auk, Fulmar Petrel, and three species of Buzzard. No Eider Ducks are reported, although Mr. Paynter describes them as having had an unusually prolific breeding season at the Farne Islands. The chief occurrences of 1898 are a Roller, two Little Bustards, four Cranes, and a Ruddy Shelduck. In August there was a large migration of Crossbills, which are not, strictly speaking, autumn migrants. September was far too mild to delay rare birds on passage, which, according to previous experience in open weather, pass over Norfolk; but the common immigrants generally come to us as much in fine weather as in foul, that is, those like the Blackbird, Grey Crow, and Shore Lark, which have no intention of going farther than England.

In October there were marked arrivals of Scaup Ducks, Bewick's Swans, Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, and Goldcrests, the two latter extending far to the northward of Norfolk. Mr. Cordeaux reports "there has been no such arrival of Goldcrests at Humber mouth since 1892"; but it is probable that neither then, nor now, was Norfolk so largely visited as Yorkshire.

November was uneventful, but in December Blackbirds must have poured in, judging from the numbers seen when covert-shooting. A very considerable influx of Kingfishers and Wood-Pigeons took place, and at the end of the month some Woodcocks arrived, in good condition.

It might be expected that immigrants, on reaching our shores, would be more or less exhausted; but, on the contrary, no one who watches Sky-Larks, Crows, Jackdaws, Hawks, &c, coming in from the sea can fail to be struck by the methodical way in which they fly on, and never alight while the eye can follow them. Woodcocks and Blackbirds also, which have evidently only been in England a few hours, are found when shot to be in plump condition, and none the worse for their long voyage.

And now a few words on migration. Without doubt it is the wind and weather in Scandinavia which influence the start of the ordinary autumn immigrants, such as those we have referred to—Woodcocks, Blackbirds, Redwings, and Wood-Pigeons; but in the case of birds which set out from Eastern Russia it is different—e.g. the Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Macqueen's Bustard, and