54 MAY IN BBOADLAND. 



We may not loiter to inspect the swamp where the white swans are nesting 

 if we do we shall not be welcomed by them nor hunt for a great grebe's floating 

 egg-basket. Much that we see and do must remain unknown, save by ourselves, 

 for our space forbids it. We could linger yet, but the time has sped, and our 



watches are pointing well towards train-time. 



o o o - c- .-'". o o 



Behold us at eventide, in the middle of May, sculling in a gun-punt up Brey- 

 don, making for one of the ' drains ' which at low-water vein its muddy breast. 

 The tide is rising, and the * flats ' by the hundred acres are disappearing below the 

 flood. Here and there the ' lumps,' still dry and uncovered, are gradually growing 

 less in area. Strange whistles and call-notes are heard as many a long-legged 

 wading bird is ousted from its feeding ground and compelled to seek a drier 

 location, for when too deep for walking it must needs swim or flit which latter it 

 prefers to do. 



The spring migration has set in, and many a northward-bound bird drops in 

 upon us, amongst them the whimbrel, knot, and dunlin, the turnstone, grey plover, 

 and pigmy-curlew, and many another. These, attracted by so fine a feeding- 

 ground, drop in awhile and refresh themselves, and proceed upon their journey. 

 Many a rarer bird, attired in its springtime best, mingles with the commoner 

 herd. But close-time has thrown its protecting clauses around them, and they 

 remain unmolested by the gunner who envies them their jackets. The bird-stuffer 

 now loses his richest plumaged specimens. There was no close season until well into 

 the 70's. 



Let us draw to the highest of the l lumps : ' all else is covered with the 

 water. Here the birds are making their last stand prior to betaking themselves 

 to the marshes, the sea-shore, or still farther away. What a medley of notes, and 

 what a concourse of birds are before us ! There runs a turnstone there are six 

 of them at least. Those mellow call-notes denote the presence of several ring- 

 plovers, and their black gorgets also betray them. Grrey plovers, some curlews, 

 dunlins, and others are also identified. What sooty long-winged birds are they 

 which now dropped in at the water's edge ? They are black terns, and the species 

 once nested in Broadland. And those pearly-backed, swallow-like sea-birds with 

 them are Arctic terns. They are tame enough, poor things ; what havoc a gunner 

 might make in their serried ranks! Day after day, till the month is out, will such 

 birds be seen if the winds blow fair from the east at any point. With westerly 

 winds continuously blowing fewer and fewer birds will put in an appearance. He 

 is a lucky man who chance-time sees here the beautiful avocet, the quainter spoon- 

 bill, and the lordly stork. The day is spent ; darkness covers all, and nothing 

 now denotes the presence of the birds but their weird wild notes. 



