232 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Shore Birds The Curlew and Whimbrel Godwits and Sandpipers 

 The Glossy Ibis Avocet Phalaropes The Turnstone and 

 Oyster-catcher. 



CURLEWS (Numenius arquata) are very common on 

 the coast and breed freely in the mountainous dis- 

 tricts. The breast of a Curlew is good eating 

 enough when obtained in the country, and a young 

 bird at harvest time is excellent, but they should be 

 shot sufficiently far from the tide to insure their 

 not flying thither to feed. They are more regular 

 in repairing to their haunts than any other birds ; 

 to the minute they will desert the moors and mea- 

 dows to leave for the coast. How Curlews can tell 

 from inland fields, far from and out of sight of the 

 tide, the exact moment to make for the shore (as 

 if they carried watches in their pockets) is more 

 than I can even guess at. They will arrive just as 

 the ooze is sufficiently uncovered to enable them to 

 get their food whilst wading. I have watched them, 

 several miles from the tide, cease feeding, call to 

 one another, collect, and then point for the sea; and 

 this, too, at the very moment I knew the shallows 

 must be nearly exposed. Spring tides they will 

 hit off exactly, never late, always on the spot just as 

 the banks begin to show. They may at these times 

 be seen travelling in long strings to their favourite 



