124 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 
where Mr. F. Norgate, who has made more recent 
enquiries on the spot, believes they are still resident. 
By the end of August or beginning of September, 
they again make their appearance in the above-named 
localities in large flocks, which are increased considerably 
during the winter months. Some twenty years ago, at 
that season, Mr. Dowell found them at Blakeney in 
flocks of five hundred and upwards, but then remarkably 
shy; and the Rev. C. A. Johns, in his “ British Birds 
in their haunts,” in stating that oyster-catchers may be 
“reckoned by thousands” on the Norfolk coast in hard 
winters, particularly mentions the “eastern point” of 
Brancaster marsh, a place of perfect security from its 
openness on all sides, as one of their most favourite 
roosting places. ‘Towards this point (he writes) I 
have seen line after line winging their way, all about 
the same hour, just after sunset, all following the line 
of the coast, but taking care to keep well out at sea, and 
all advancing with perfect regularity, every individual 
in a company being at the same height above the 
water.” At such times they are frequently taken in nets — 
on the shores of the Wash, near Lynn, with many other 
birds, by a process which I shall have occasion to 
explain more at length in my account of the dunlin. 
Although in 1825 described by the Messrs. Paget as 
“not uncommon on the beach” at Yarmouth, the oyster- 
catcher can be reckoned only as a rarity on the eastern 
side of the county where the beach presents far less 
attractions for this species than the flat shores of the 
Wash, abounding in shell-fish, as various as abundant. 
I quite agree with my friend Mr. Harting (“ Birds 
of Middlesex”) that the term oyster-catcher is a mis- 
nomer for this species, whose chief food appears to 
consist of mussels, whelks, limpets—struck off from the 
rocks with that wonderful blunt-pointed flat-sided beak, 
hammer and chisel in one—cockles, and other small 
