WILD-GOOSE SHOOTING 167 



ever, absent in the case of the brent geese, which are 

 undoubtedly the most popular of all the goose species, 

 and afford sport for hundreds of gunners during the 

 winter in those specially favoured bays and estuaries 

 which they visit with unfailing regularity in greater or 

 less numbers according to the season. 



About the end of November or the first week in 

 December their advance-guard begins to arrive on 

 our shores, but the bulk of the brent do not quit 

 northern and eastern Europe until their feeding- 

 grounds in those regions are closed by frost. By the 

 middle of January the geese have generally become 

 established in their customary haunts, and may daily 

 be seen on the mudflats, or swimming about in open 

 water, according to the state of the tide. 



In most localities brent spend the night on the 

 open coast, and fly to their feeding-grounds in early 

 morning, when there is enough light to make their 

 passage thither secure from danger. Looking sea- 

 wards under the brightening dawn they may be 

 observed toying with wind and wave, and constantly 

 rising and settling at the mouth of the estuary. 

 Presently their restless movements become more pro- 

 nounced, and small parties begin to congregate at 

 some convenient point prior to the general flight to 

 the flats. Then all at once up they rise with one 



