48 WiivD Birds and their Haunts 



shelter, and listen for the notes of the fowl, driven by the 

 fierce wind off the open sea to seek harbour in the bays 

 then comes the screaming of the redshanks, the cackle of 

 gulls ; all combined with the peculiar chatter of thousands 

 of Dunlins or Oxbirds (Tnnga variabilis). 



The fowl are coming up with the wind, so, crawling up 

 the bank, we peep very cautiously out over the Saltings 

 and down the creek. The whole place is alive with hen 

 and web-footed fowl ; only a mile away a line of birds is to 

 be seen coming over from the opposite shore ; we get 

 quickly back to the bottom of the wall and wait for them. 



The whistle of their wings is first heard, and then we 

 can distinguish them. Widgeon they are, the feathers 

 underneath shining like white satin. Picking out the 

 leader as he passes by, and aiming a yard in front, we 

 bring him down with a thud — dead. And now the fowl 

 are on the Saltings ; their scream, chatter, quack, and 

 whistle, all mixed up together, while from the other side 

 of the water comes the sound of the heavy duck guns hard 

 at work. 



We slip over the wall, and begin to crawl on hands and 

 knees to the fowl feeding on the very edge of the ebb-tide. 

 Curlews are not to be thought of ; they know exactly how 

 far a gun will reach, and keep just the right distance out 

 of harm's way. Besides, they post one of their number 

 for sentry duty. The redshanks are nearly as bad for 

 they kick up a noise, and let all the other birds know that 

 something is crawling along. 



Getting under the shelter of the wall, I made my way 

 lower down to the tide, where, crouching under the 

 remains of a stack of reeds, I found a " shore shooter," 

 one who makes his living by means of his gun. By some 

 unlucky chance he had forgotten to fill his powder-flask. 

 The birds are well up on the Saltings, and he has only 

 enough for another charge for his duck gun. Could I 

 oblige him with a charge ? he asked. 



1 ' Certainly, with half-a-dozen, if you like," is my reply. 



" I can't afford to shoot them little hen-footed things," 

 he remarks. ' ' Powder and shot cost money. Are you 

 after something to stuff ? " 



