98 THE COMPLETE WILDFOWLER 



during winter in the British Isles) leave the estuaries and such 

 spots where they spend the night, at daybreak, and seek out 

 large fields and moors where grass, scattered grain, and shoots 

 of clover are to be found. In the afternoon they repair again 

 to the tideways or large inland lakes. Ducks (except sea-ducks) 

 feed by night, though when undisturbed or during bad weather 

 they also feed by day. Their general habits are to "flight" 

 from the open waters at dusk and feed by night on the stubbles 

 and inland marshes. Widgeon delight in feeding on the same 

 food as brent. This food is a long weed with succulent white 

 roots which grows on the mudflats in various estuaries and on 

 the coast. Its scientific name is Zostera marina, but it is known 

 in many places locally by gunners as "wrack grass," "zos," 

 "widgeon weed," and so on. At daybreak the ducks seek the 

 open seas or bays for safety during the day, but if the weather 

 is boisterous they will fly along-shore in trips searching for 

 a safe shelter. At such times they also often resort to the 

 mud-flats, and should any fresh-water stream run through the 

 flats at low tide the ducks will be found during bad weather in 

 incredible numbers sporting and drinking, or else dead asleep 

 in the vicinity of such quarters. But ducks are hardy fowl, 

 and little shelter will suffice them ; thus it is only at places 

 where the tide recedes far out from the mainland that ducks 

 may be met with availing themselves of such conditions. The 

 sea-ducks feed day and night, according to tide times and 

 condition of the weather. 



Shore-birds — i.e., those of the wader tribe — are very regular 

 in their habits in winter. As the tide flows and so covers their 

 feeding grounds, shore-birds of the commoner kinds, such as 

 curlew, plover, gotwit, red-shank, knot, and dunlin, wing in 

 small parties higher up the estuaries or along the coast to 

 places where sandbars, salting edges, or islands are to be found, 

 and on which they may rest until the tide recedes. Their chief 

 feeding times are governed by the tides ; thus it is compulsory 



