BIRDS 107. Merlin. Fa/co aesa/on, TnnsuW. Locally, Stone Falcon, Blue Hawk. Occurs at intervals in various parts of the county. One was killed at Kinnersley in 1845 ; another was seen at Llanwarne in 1858 ; one was killed at Bel- mont in January, 1876; one near Hereford in 1893, and another at Backney Common, near Ross, on 18 December, 1899. A female was also taken on 19 January, 1895, by Mr. Spencer, at Clehonger. Three were killed in the latter part of 1890 in the county ; another one was killed at Dorstone in the spring of 1892, and another at Kingsland in the early part of 1893. Mr. W. de Winton has a fine local specimen, a male, which he lent to the Hereford Museum; and in December, 1893, Mr. Price, of Winforton, brought Ashdown a fully adult female for preservation. 108. Kestrel. Fako tlnnuncuks, Linn. Locally, Windhover, Creshawk, Hoverhawk, Stannel or Stannel Hawk. A common resident in the county, but not so common as formerly ; it is a most useful bird to the farmer, and preys principally on mice and rats, and should for this alone be carefully preserved. It will, however, take very young pheasants, and when once it begins will go on until it takes every bird from a coop ; and it is this habit, I fear, that has caused it to be killed by the gamekeeper and to become much scarcer in the county. Dr. Williams gives a curious instance of its nesting habits. In 1888, whilst strolling along the River Arrow, he noticed a carrion crow's nest high up in a large poplar ; the nest con- tained well-fledged young birds, judging by the noise they made, and these the parents were busily em- ployed in feeding. Whilst passing the nest shortly afterwards he saw a kestrel and the two parent crows, evidently quarrelling, fly out of it. A fortnight later, on revisiting the spot, he again saw a kestrel fly from the tree, and then he noticed that there was a large nest in the same tree placed some 20 feet below that of the crows, which he concluded to be the kestrels' nest. The following day he had the higher nest examined, and this was found to be lined with the feathers of the unfortunate young crows, and inside lay five very handsome kestrel's eggs. The kestrels had not only annexed the crows' nest, but had evidently eaten the young birds. Some three weeks later the female was shot by the owner of the land, and when the nest was examined for the second time it was found to contain a second clutch exactly resembling the first clutch. The fact of the kestrels killing and eating the young of such a pugnacious bird as the carrion crow is most singular. 109. Osprey. Pandion haliaitus (Linn.). Locally, Fishing Hawk, Mullet Hawk. This rare fishing hawk seems to be only a very occasional visitor to the county, there being no large lake to suit its habits. One was shot at Fownhope m October, 1879, ^"d is in the possession of Mr. Blake. Three instances are recorded of this bird having been observed on the Wye near Clyro, and as one was about for some time, it must often have crossed the border into Herefordshire in its wanderings up and down the river. One of these is now in the Hereford Museum. no. Common Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo (Linn.). Locally, Crested Cormorant, Corvorant, Great Black Cormorant, Cole Goose, Scart. Visits the Wye and other rivers in the county occa- sionally. One was shot on the Wye near Ross in 1856 ; one on the Lugg ; another on the Wye near Hampton Bishop in 1876 ; one on a brook at Tar- rington in 1878 ; and another on the Lugg near Mordiford in 1881 ; these last two specimens are now in the Hereford Museum. On 12 November, 1902, Mr. Peachey shot a cormorant on the Wye near the osier-bed on the upper side of Wilton Bridge, and Ashdown, the taxidermist who stuifed the bird, re- ported that it contained thirty or forty leeches ; this is very singular, as I do not remember ever hearing that leeches were eaten by these birds. The bird had most probably been blown inland during a recent gale, and was probably ravenous and exhausted. Two cormorants were seen on 21 September, 1905, on the Wye near Ross, and one of them was shot. 111. Shag or Green Cormorant. Phalacrocorax gracu- lus (Linn.). Locally, Crested Cormorant, Crested Shag, Scart, Scarf. This being essentially a sea bird is only a rare visitor, but has, however, occurred several times in the county ; one was killed on All Saints' Church, Hereford, in 1876, and another at Eardisley in February, 1898. An immature specimen sent in by Mr. Blake, killed near Ross in January, 1892, is in the Hereford Museum, and another was presented by Colonel Reid to the museum, which was shot at Eardisley on 22 February, 1898. 112. Gannet or Solan Goose. Bula bassana (Linn.). This bird, being seldom or ever seen away from the sea, hardly ever occurs inland except after violent gales, when it is usually carried along iy the wind inland until it falls exhausted. One was shot near Hereford in 1876 ; another was found at Peterchurch, probably an exhausted bird ; and one was shot by a Mr. James, near Mordiford, in 1881. One was picked up near Preston on Wye vicarage in 188 I. [Tropic Bird. Phaethon oethereus. One is said to have been found dead in Hereford- shire more than forty years ago (J. H. Gurney, Trans. Norf.Soc. V, 659).] 113. Common Heron. Ardea cinerea, Linn. Locally, Hern, Heronshaw, Hernshaw, Heron- seugh. Crane. A common resident. Mr. Southall, writing in 1884, says that this bird still occurs in the county, but in 1892 Ashdown mentions that it was ruthlessly shot down on every hand, numbers of immature specimens reaching him every winter ; he adds that a remark ably clear heron, at least six or seven years old, was shot early in 1892 by Mr. Paul Broustet at Grosmont. There seem to be no large heronries in Hereford- shire. In 1899 the heron nested in the following places in the county : Castle Green, Bredwardine, six nests ; Garden Wood, Eywood, three nests ; Small Wood, between Titley and Eywood, three nests ; 139
