132 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Greenshank zigzagging about here and there amongst 

 them, feeding in his hap-hazard way. Another Egret 

 joins them, moving over the water with a soft, owl-like 

 flight, and when he has settled he keeps his long neck 

 stretched out in a somewhat ungainly attitude, not at 

 all resembling the graceful pose in which he is often 

 depicted. Something startles the Greenshank, always 

 the wariest of birds, and he flies up with four or five 

 shrill screaming whistles, winging his way with erratic 

 flight some distance off. The Egret looks at the Curlew, 

 which has not moved, but stands stock-still, though he 

 has left off feeding ; if the Curlew does not go, the 

 Egret is quite satisfied to remain where he is, for the 

 Greenshank has cried "wolf" too often, and there is no 

 merit in detecting danger when five-sixths of your warn- 

 ings are false alarms. The Curlew, of course, is not 

 infallible, but then who is ? and life on the estuary 

 would be unbearable were all the birds to live in the 

 constant state of unreasonable excitement and alarm 

 that characterises the Greenshank's existence. 



Another Curlew alights, and stands immovable ; he 

 remains so for at least five minutes, apparently absorbed 

 in thought, in reality taking in the slightest movement 

 within the limit of his keen sight, then, as though in 

 apology for having been so long in commencing to feed, 

 he seems to recollect himself, and puts his long curved 

 bill down a little way towards the shallow water in which 

 he is standing, then draws it up again. He is in no 

 hurry, he can easily wait another two or three minutes. 

 So a little while later he slowly puts it down again, this 

 time so as to almost touch the water, and then com- 

 mences to feed? Oh no, he only wanted to find out 



