CHAPTER X 



MOVEMENTS OF WILDFOWL AND SHORE-BIRDS 



At the outset, the uninitiated shore-shooter will do well 

 to note roughly what are the general habits of his quarry as 

 they are affected by the tides, winds, and other changing 

 elements. Of course, there are no absolutely fixed rules de- 

 termining how the birds will act under changes of weather and 

 and so on. Like the habits of every other living thing, we find 

 here and there exceptions; but these, in the case of wildfowl and 

 shore-birds, are very occasional. It may be stated that wild- 

 fowl are decidedly regular in their movements. In some cases 

 they are too regular, and it is the periods when they behave 

 irregularly with which the shooter should strive to acquaint 

 himself. When the finer art of calculating where the birds 

 will strike a line of flight from sea to land, according to the 

 direction and strength of the wind, has to be undertaken, we 

 arrive at the greatest achievement possible for the shore-shooter. 

 Swans are regular visitors to our islands, but their habits 

 to the shore-shooter are of little importance, as they do 

 not regularly figure in his category. Geese (except during 

 very hard weather) always feed by day. Brent wing in from 

 sea to feed on the "zos" weed of the mudflats in the early 

 morning, and wing seawards when they have fed or towards 

 night. Sometimes during land winds they will feed at sea on 

 floating weed, and therefore do not visit the flats for days 

 together. Bernacle geese are marsh feeders. They frequent 

 the tideways during the night and repair at daybreak to feed. 

 Grey geese (the pink-footed species, now the commonest 

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