Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/355

Rh the trip. The following extracts from my note-book will give a pretty fair idea of these movements this season:—Wigeon fairly plentiful, Feb. 17th. Small bunches of Larks flying north-east, Feb. 20th. Fifty Curlews on Breydon, Feb. 27th. Flocks of Ringed Plovers on Breydon, March 1st. Sailed past several Dunlins, on March 28th, on edge of "flat"; they were as grey as in depth of winter. About two thousand Starlings on a marsh, March 28th. Late for so big an assembly. Query, were they late-hatched birds? Will they remain unnesting? Numbers of Little Auks washing ashore dead; thirty picked up last week in March; also some Puffins. Wedge-flights of Starlings moving seawards, March 29th. About one hundred Wigeon on Breydon, April 17th. Six Geese passing over (Whitefronts?), April 18th. A few Godwits reported on beach, April 17th. Sailed into flock of one hundred Wigeon, April 20th. Several Kentish and Common Crows together on Breydon mud-flats, April 20th. Five Kentish Crows on Breydon late as May 11th; one had a drooping wing; the other laggards were no doubt anxiously wishing to be off, but loath to leave him; they were gone next day. One Spoonbill said to have been seen a few hours on Breydon on April 28th; on June 7th twelve were reported to me as seen there; I was on Breydon myself, but it was so rough I went in a leeward direction, otherwise I should have gone by the very flat they were said to have rested upon for only an hour or two. I did not see them. By one or two they were mistaken for Swans, a not unusual error to those who see them at a distance. Several Grey Plovers on Breydon, May 5th; wind south-west, suddenly veering to south-east by next morning—a shift I expected. A precisely similar thing happened on May 25th, the wind backing from north-east to south-east in a few hours (cf. ante, p. 162). Some delightfully "Black-breasted" Plovers (old gunner's nickname for Greys) on Breydon, May 10th; they were very tired, and I "quanted" to within a few paces and watched them. Only Knots seen, May 9th; about five or six. Seven Swifts arrived on May 11th; an early arrival. We usually expect five pairs. They vanished for a few days, it being cruelly cold, and returned again. Only very few Godwits. Saw three on May 12th; have seen only one or two others since. Saw a pair of Shovelers on May 16th; they undoubtedly nested in the vicinity, but, as they have frequently visited Breydon since, their nest may have been rifled. Saw them to-day (June 10th). Observed Whimbrel in couples, May 16th; they were numerous a week before, hunting singly or in small scattered flocks. Several there as late as to-day (June 10th). A few Yellow Wagtails on marshes, May 16th, by no means plentiful as of yore. Saw one Turnstone, May 28th; only one I have seen. A goodly sized flock of Ringed Plovers on May 27th; a few on Breydon to-day (June 10th), possibly birds nesting on the adjacent coast; also three Dunlins, probably