THE ARDENT LAPWING 



seems as if the lapwing fell on his back in the air 

 (he certainly does this), but came up again the same 

 way not a full round. His swiftest flights are 

 when he sweeps just above the ground and then he 

 can be very swift. Lapwing and rook often seem to 

 labour painfully in flight. Yet both can suddenly 

 put forth tremendous pace. Whether such spurts 

 could be kept up over a long course is what students 

 of migration want to know. I am inclined to believe 

 that labouring and feeble-seeming flight the land- 

 rail's, for instance is more likely to deceive a 

 watcher as to the birds' powers than these very high 

 paces. 



Cuckoos mate 



I heard and saw the first of the summer birds at 

 the end of March the shy, pretty wryneck, whose 

 plumage has the minute, fine chequered design of 

 the widgeon's or the underside of the wings of some 

 of the smaller fritillary butterflies. Wych elm in 

 flower, coppices whitening with the anemone, and 

 the cumulus aloft and ribes leafing this is a time 

 when the wryneck well may appear. Indeed, it has 

 been noticed in some years at the beginning of 

 March. At the end of February I thought I heard 

 a wryneck in the woods, but as the note was not 

 repeated, and I could not get a glimpse of the bird, 

 it was not safe to feel sure. 



81 



