124 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



where Mr. F. Norgate, who has made more recent 

 enquiries on the spot, believes they are still resident. 



By the end of August or beginning of September, 

 they again make their appearance in the above-named 

 localities in large flocks, which are increased considerably 

 during the winter months. Some twenty years ago, at 

 that season, Mr. Dowell found them at Blakeney in 

 flocks of five hundred and upwards, but then remarkably 

 shy ; and the Rev. C. A. Johns, in his " British Birds 

 in their haunts," in stating that oyster-catchers may be 

 " reckoned by thousands" on the Norfolk coast in hard 

 winters, particularly mentions the " eastern point " of 

 Brancaster marsh, a place of perfect security from its 

 openness on all sides, as one of their most favourite 

 roosting places. "Towards this point (he writes) I 

 have seen line after line winging their way, all about 

 the same hour, just after sunset, all following the line 

 of the coast, but taking care to keep well out at sea, and 

 all advancing with perfect regularity, every individual 

 in a company being at the same height above the 

 water." At such times they are frequently taken in nets 

 on the shores of the Wash, near Lynn, with many other 

 birds, by a process which I shall have occasion to 

 explain more at length in my account of the dunlin. 



Although in 1825 described by the Messrs. Paget as 

 " not uncommon on the beach" at Yarmouth, the oyster- 

 catcher can be reckoned only as a rarity on the eastern 

 side of the county where the beach presents far less 

 attractions for this species than the flat shores of the 

 Wash, abounding in shell-fish, as various as abundant. 



I quite agree with my friend Mr. Harting (" Birds 

 of Middlesex") that the term oyster-catcher is a mis- 

 nomer for this species, whose chief food appears to 

 consist of mussels, whelks, limpets struck off from the 

 rocks with that wonderful blunt-pointed flat-sided beak, 

 hammer and chisel in one cockles, and other small 



