Page:VCH Norfolk 1.djvu/267

 BIRDS 140. Goshawk. Astur palumbarius {Lmn.). The goshawk is one of our rarest falcons. Out of thirteen recorded examples only one has been procured in adult plumage. 141. Sparrow-Hawk. Accipiter nisus (Linn.). Fairly common with us throughout the year. Those breeding with us go south in the winter, their places being taken by immi- grants from abroad. 142. Kite. Milvus ictinus, Savigny. The kite was formerly a common resident in Norfolk, but is quite extinct as a native, those which occasionally occur here being immigrants. Mr. Gurney thinks the kite ceased to nest with us between the years 1830 and 1840. 143. Honey - Buzzard. Pernis apivorus (Linn.). This is an uncertain autumn migrant, sometimes appearing in considerable numbers, as in the years 1881 and 1896. 144. Greenland Falcon. Falco candicam, Gmelin. A Greenland falcon in the Norwich Museum was killed at Beeston near Cromer, in February, 1848. An earlier Norfolk- killed specimen of this beautiful bird is in the Saffron Walden Museum. A young male falcon was killed at Thet- ford Warren in the spring of 1883, which passed into the collection of the late Dr. Churchill Babington, it was in a stage of plumage which rendered it extremely difficult to determine to which of the two closely allied species it belonged — the gyr falcon or the Iceland falcon — but although the two in this condition are almost indistinguishable opinion is in favour of the former. 145. Peregrine Falcon. Falco peregrinus, Tunstall. This falcon is by no means uncommon as an autumn or winter migrant, often in adult plumage. This species bred in the chalk cliflfe at Hunstanton till about the year 1821 ; other nesting places are mentioned by Mr. Lubbock [Fauna of Norfolk, edit. 2, p. 28). 146. Hobby. Falco subbuteo, Linn. A summer visitor which perhaps still occa- sionally breeds here, but appears to have be- come much rarer of late years. 147. Merlin. Falco asalon, Tunstall. The merlin visits us in autumn, and is not uncommon in immature plumage. 148. Red-footed Falcon. Falco vespertinus, Linn. This falcon was first made known as a British bird in May, 1830, when five were killed in Norfolk. It has been twice met with here since that time. 149. Kestrel. Falco tinnunculus, Linn. This is a common resident, receiving large additions to its numbers in autumn, when like so many of our breeding species the home- bred individuals leave us. 150. Osprey. Pandion haliaetus (Linn.). The osprey visits us in its spring and autumn migrations, when it seldom omits to put in an appearance. 151. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carlo (Linn.). Generally an autumn visitor and most com- monly in the immature plumage, the adult being rare. It is sometimes seen on the broads and inland waters, and formerly bred at Reedham and in the woods at Herringfleet certainly as late as 1827 {Fauna of Norfolk, edit. 2, p. 174). When it deserted the Reedham nesting-place is not known, but Sir Thomas Browne says (circa 1663) that ' King Charles the First was wont to be supplied ' from there. 152. Shag or Green Cormorant. Phalacro- corax graculus (Linn.). Less frequently met with than the above, a few have been killed in fully adult plumage. 153- Gannet or Solan Goose. Sula bassana (Linn.). The gannet is often seen fishing off our coast, generally in autumn, and specimens, mostly immature, are occasionally obtained ashore in rough weather. Sir Thomas Browne alludes twice * to a pelican shot on Horsey Broad in May, 1663, which he suggests may have escaped from the King's collection in St. James's Park. Bones of a species of pelican have been found both in the fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.* 154. Heron. Jrdea cinerea, hinn. A very common bird in Norfolk. Many may often be seen feeding together on the mud-flats at Breydon. A list of the Norfolk heronries is given in huhhock's Fauna of Nor- folk (edit. 2, pp. 85, 222). There is also a thriving colony at Kimberley. Lubbock mentions that nests were occasionally found • Wilkin's Edit. i. p. 397, and iv. p. 318. 235
 * See footnote p. 227 anU.