William George Clarke

“ Fowlmere is by far the largest of the four heathland meres; it is indeed a respectable-sized sheet of water, forming the much-cherished haunt of numbers of Wildfowl. At one end—although some distance away—is a farmhouse; at the other, runs the "drove." A projecting fir-crowned bluff frowns to the eastward; whilst the western shore is now clothed with thick undergrowth, in which many species of Ducks and water-birds delight to shelter. ”

“ On a certain Sunday a Coot's nest was noted a few yards from the shore. On the next Sunday a log had been thrown across this nest, and on the log was the nest of a Black-headed Gull containing one egg. It is a matter for regret that these Gulls cannot be induced to stop in larger numbers, as their snowy, graceful forms on the newly-ploughed land is one of the prettiest imaginable sights in the district around the large mere at Scoulton—one of the best-known "Gulleries" of this species. ”

“ The Brandon knappers, with their marvellous inherited skill and constant practice in making gunflints, turn out specimens of prehistoric arrow-heads and axes that might deceive even the elect. It is probable that this little Suffolk town turns out more modern imitations of ancient flint implements than does all the rest of England. One collector, to prevent deception, made it a condition of purchase that he should himself see the finding of the implements. ”

“ Swallows often build their nests in remarkable situations. Every year their dwellings may be seen in the coprolite sheds belonging to artificial manure works near Thetford, where the smell is indescribable. One's olfactory organs must be affected before realizing what it is; but these Swallows seem to pay no heed, and rear their broods each year in safety. Swallows also build in the shops of the engineering works in this town, threading their way unerringly through the revolving shafting, and quite unmindful of the clang of the machinery. ”

“ When disturbed the birds fly up with much spluttering, wheel round and round several times—the whistling of their wings sounding strange indeed at night-time—and then fly off to one of the other meres, where they wait until again disturbed. ”

“ Although the number of Stone Curlews breeding in the district has doubtless greatly diminished since that period, it still seems probable that the numerical loss has been little since the time of Salmon in the early thirties. This year they are certainly far more plentiful than they have been during the last ten years. A belt of heathland from four to eight miles wide surrounds Thetford—which for this reason has been designated "the town on the heath"—and hereon the Stone Curlews nest yearly. ”

“ North of Thetford, on part of the belt of barren heathland that surrounds the town, are several sheets of water known as meres, which are almost unique in their formation and situation. Of similar origin, but with very different surroundings, are other meres, a little further northward, in Wretham Park. It is of the heathland meres—Ringmere, Langmere, Fowlmere, and the Devil's Punch Bowl—that I shall more particularly write; although the bird-life of the meres must necessarily include the whole series—Mickle Mere, Great Mere, and West Mere, in addition to those previously mentioned. ”

“ On the great heathland surrounding the various meres, Moles are extremely common. Stoats and Weasels are frequently caught; and at the end of April, 1895, a Badger, suckling two young ones, was trapped at West Wretham. The mother was stuffed, and is preserved at the hall. An attempt was made to rear the two cubs at the Home Farm, but did not succeed. The gamekeeper saw the footprints of this animal in the snow, and thought they belonged to a barefooted man; but being apprised of their real nature he set a trap, and caught the Badger. Rabbits are very plentiful ”

“ Vipers and Ringed Snakes are also not infrequently seen; while the borders of the meres form happy hunting-grounds for Frogs and Toads. The birds of the heathland are many. Wheatears and Stockdoves nest in disused rabbit-holes; Whinchats, Stonechats, Linnets, various species of Finches, Thrushes, Blackbirds, and Hedge Sparrows nest in the furze; and in the neighbouring plantations Long-eared Owls and numerous other birds of the woodland find a home. ”

“ The making of spurious flint implements is an industry by no means confined to the last few years. Practically as soon as it was found that the evidences of man's handiwork from the river gravels of England had a marketable value, men skilled in flint-knapping began to make imitations of them, "Flint Jack" especially obtaining notoriety for the skill with which he imitated prehistoric weapons. ”

“ This is the smallest and likewise the best example of the crater-shaped mere. It is circular in form, and the water varies much in depth. It is surrounded by a ring of fir trees, a ring of bracken extending from them about two-thirds of the way down the slope, then close slippery turf within a short distance of the water. Between turf and mere is a small strip of gravelly beach, which widens or narrows with the fall of the water. On the southern edge of the crater is perched a shepherd's cottage. It sometimes happens that a circle of white mist overhangs the mere at night-time. ”

“ Scrapers are very rarely made. Genuine ones are so common in the district as to render imitations unprofitable. I have a spurious flint dagger in my possession, which would deceive none but the veriest novice. Chipped axes are, next to arrow-heads, the implements most frequently manufactured. As they command good prices and are somewhat difficult of detection, their disposal to enthusiastic and unsuspicious collectors is a remunerative calling. A spurious Neolithic axe of grey opaque flint, ground and polished, was offered to a friend of the writer by a Brandon workman. ”

“ By far the greater number nest in such localities, but year by year, even before the return of spring, a small band migrate inland, and on the heaths and warrens of the Norfolk and Suffolk "breck" district undertake domestic responsibilities. It is a difficult task to estimate with any degree of accuracy the numbers of these heath-loving birds, but it cannot be very large. So far as I have been able to ascertain personally or by correspondence the Ringed Plovers only nest in eight localities in Thetford district, although they are likewise found in the Lark valley. ”

“ Nest there is none, as a rule, the merest hollow in the sand being utilised. Very rarely there are a few short pieces of dried grass. September 1st is the latest date on which the Ringed Plovers have been seen in the district. ”

“ My own experience is that they are incomparably more noisy on moonlight nights than when the sky is overcast, and that therefore this reason is not the correct one. In this district the brood is generally hatched off by the commencement of June; but so well do the colourings of the young birds harmonise with those of the heathland that it is a matter of extreme difficulty to detect them. The eggs are usually laid in a slight hollow, sometimes on the open heath, but more generally on the upland "brecks." ”

“ But these modern implements are mathematically correct, with never a chip in the wrong place. The friction of the sand and the action of the atmosphere always causes a polish on the ancient implements, and to effect this on the modern implements, which are somewhat dull on being first chipped, they are buried for some weeks in hot sand, and care is taken when they are removed to leave some of this adhering. And when you express doubts as to the genuineness of the implements, the vendors triumphantly point out the soil which still adheres. ”

“ The heart of one of these trees had rotted, and in the cavity thus formed was a Redstart's nest containing three eggs. In 1893 one of these birds built its nest in a hole from which a brick had been displaced, not a yard from a gate through which hundreds of persons passed weekly, but it was not until the young birds were hatched that the nest was discovered. A few Black-headed Gulls nest yearly at Langmere, about four miles north of Thetford. ”

“ Amongst the miscellaneous collection of kettles to be found there, a Robin generally builds its nest year by year. Starlings notoriously nest in queer places. In a railway bridge at Santon, Norfolk, six bricks were missing, three on each side. Of the six holes, five were tenanted this year by Starlings. In the crotch of a beech tree in a plantation at Kilverstone, Norfolk, a piece of oak-bark had become fixed about three feet from the ground. Upon this bark a Nightjar had deposited its two eggs, in preference to the bare earth. ”

“ A commonly accepted idea is that the Stone Curlew is disinclined to utter its note during the day, but is with regard to whistling essentially a bird of the night. In this district they always when disturbed,—whatever the hour of the day,—fly off whistling. ”

“ Of late years there has been quite a revival in the manufacture of spurious implements in north-west Suffolk, and undoubtedly those turned out are beautiful specimens of the knapper's art. In fact they are too beautiful and perfect. Rarely indeed do we find an arrow-head, for instance, that was discarded or lost thousands of years ago, quite perfect. ”

“ Blomefield says of it: "It is a very old mere or large water, as the Saxon name which it still bears tells, Ringmere being no other than the Round Mere or Water." All the meres are situated on the upper boulder clays, and occupy higher levels than the broads. They were probably formed by glacial action wearing away the beds above the chalk. Tradition says, with every degree of probability, that a battle was fought on the surrounding heathland. John Brame, a monk of Thetford, assigned it to a semi-mythical Arthurian period ”

“ The mere was quite dry in 1859; at other times its waters have overflown the road; and in the swampy tract on the far side of the highway belated travellers have seen the fitful flickering of the will-o'-the-wisp. ”

“ They likewise thought that an arm of the Wash extended along the valley of the Little Ouse to Thetford, and that consequently the present breeding-places of the Ringed Plover were coast sands in the post-glacial epoch. ”

“ Nests, too, are to be found each year on the joists beneath Aldeby Swing Bridge, near Beccles, continually subject to the rattling and rolling of the trains above them, and the snorting of steamers beneath. ”

“ This, however, is more noticeable late in the season, in August and September, when they may find greater difficulty in always obtaining a sufficient food-supply by night. Each individual seems to whistle its loudest during this day-time flight to the feeding-grounds. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1925, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 98 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”