118 A BIRD COLLECTORS WMEDIERY: 
almost from beneath our feet—all legs and body it seems, with tiny wings 
that can barely support its weight? It is a Water-Rail,a bird not particularly 
rare, but seldom seen except in hard weather, owing to its skulking habits ; 
and even now, though you may flush it once by accident, it is not often 
that it can be induced to rise again and give you a second view. 
On such a day as this, one may often see the Heron flapping himself 
along, high up and well out of gunshot, and, if the surrounding district 
is wild and fortune unusually propitious, it is just the time for meeting with 
that interesting rarity, the Common Bittern. No home-bred bird is he in 
these days, but some travel-wearied migrant from the Continent, whose 
probable fate on our hospitable shores will be a dose of lead, and hereafter a 
distinguished position in the museum of some heaven-favoured collector. 
Perhaps the greatest rarity I ever met with myself in the winter was a 
Great Grey Shrike. The bird was in a hedge not far from the triangular 
meadow at Twyford, but it was very wild, and quite unapproachable, though 
I managed to get close enough to be certain of the species. Within a few 
yards of the same spot I came upon a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in the 
following year. It was examining a decayed branch which had fallen from 
one of the lofty elms, and, being armed at the time with a small walking-stick 
gun, I instituted an elaborate stalk. By making a long circuit and then 
crawling some distance on my knees, I reached the far side of the elm-tree 
unobserved. I could hear the bird tapping within a few feet of me, and it 
was a case of who would see the other first, when I put my head round the 
corner. Slowly and cautiously I peered round, with gun up and finger on the 
trigger, but, as bad luck would have it, his head only was exposed, and, quickly 
as I fired, the bird was quicker, and off he flew from amidst a cloud of dust 
and bark. I used to see him regularly afterwards for some days, climbing up 
the willow-trees, but never again did I get near enough for a shot. 
The Green Woodpecker and the Nuthatch are also to be met with at 
times amidst the decaying timber. The former is only a casual visitor from 
Twyford Park, but the Nuthatch can often be discovered, sometimes close up 
to the city; in fact, I have seen one in the Close. 
Such are the birds that frequent the meadows in the morning, and, besides 
these, both Jacks and Common Snipe are to be met with at all times, while 
Kestrels, which have left the cultivated fields, can be seen here and there 
hovering high up throughout the day. 
And now for a last visit in the evening; and this will well repay anyone 
who undertakes it, provided, of course, that he has a good warm coat on, and 
watertight boots. It will be rather ticklish work picking one’s way out of 
