BIRD NOTES 115 



as it was unusual. Within two hours after a local 

 wildfowler had seen and slain it. Whether his 

 pleasure in knocking it over exceeded mine in 

 watching the bird enjoying life and liberty, is 

 open to question. 



When sailing across Breydon on 5th April 1900 

 1 passed three grandly plumaged Herons fast asleep 

 at the entrance of a drain. The flats everywhere 

 were dotted with Dunlins. I saw a number of 

 Knots and Curlew-Sandpipers; Gulls and Curlews 

 were napping together, and three Swans were 

 feeding at the edge of a "run." A Peregrine 

 Falcon stooped at half a dozen ducks, but did not 

 strike, being baffled by a flock of noisy gulls, who 

 mobbed him. 



When shooting on the marshes in the neighbour- 

 hood of Ludham, on llth November 1903, a friend 

 of mine came unexpectedly upon a flock of half a 

 score Short -eared Owls, which scattered at his 

 approach. For the moment he did not identify 

 the species, so brought down a couple, another gun 

 doing the same. He was vexed directly after to 

 recognise them as these most useful birds. They 

 had probably but recently arrived from Scandinavia. 

 On examining the ground, he discovered a number of 



