154 AMONGST THE WOODLAND BIRDS— 
wings. This is very different from the rapid 
continuous flight of the birds we have just 
been considering, especially that of the swift. 
All birds, however, whatever their powers, 
wait for a favourable wind before they venture 
(or indeed are able) to leave the coast. In the 
Channel Islands after a night of north-east, 
east, or south-east winds blowing from France 
direct to the islands, sportsmen always ex- 
pect to find woodcock and snipe in favourite 
spots the next morning, as soon as daylight 
allows them to see, the birds having come 
over in the night.1_ If birds are caught in a 
head wind they are in a sorry plight ; num- 
bers must perish in their attempts to get to 
land. I have seen skylarks during high winds 
so exhausted on reaching the shore that they 
could not fly, and could be picked up. It 
is particularly distressing to see birds arrive 
in a heavy snowstorm, even though there 
be no wind. 
' Swallows, martins and swifts may be here to-day 
and gone to-morrow. 
