NATURE AND SPORT IN BRITAIN 



tinues till the 15th March. The hen woodcock sits on 

 her eggs three weeks, and often nests very early, and 

 it is obvious that a general close season, beginning 

 with the 2nd day of February, would be of immense 

 benefit to breeding birds. 



The departure of the great body of woodcock from 

 these shores to the North of Europe, for nesting pur- 

 poses, varies a good deal with the weather. In mild 

 March weather they begin to depart fairly early in that 

 month ; if the season is inclement and the winds are 

 adverse, the main body of the migration hang back 

 until more favourable weather sets in. As a rule, most 

 of the woodcock have left our coast by the middle of 

 April at latest. An account of the migration of these 

 birds into and through Denmark appeared in the Field 

 of the 31st April, 1902. It seemed to me so interesting 

 that I have reproduced it. 



" Until the end of February wintry weather prevailed 

 throughout central Europe ; then the cold began to give 

 somewhat, and the woodcock made their appearance before 

 the middle of March in Denmark on their way north. In the 

 latter half of that month, however, the temperature again 

 fell, and until the end of April the wind blew almost unin- 

 terruptedly from the north and east, with heavy snow and 

 hail in parts and a good many degrees of frost, especially 

 at night ; the consequence was that the birds made but slow 

 progress, and the Danish sportsmen secured a considerably 

 larger number than usual. Besides having a distinct pre- 

 dilection for flying with the wind, the woodcock, during 

 their migration, do not like to have water beneath them 

 more than they can help ; they prefer islands and peninsulas 

 where, when exhausted or hungry, they may rest and feed. 

 Flight after flight arrived from the south, taking advantage, 

 according to their wont, of the natural bridge across the 

 Baltic, Cattegat, and Skagerak, formed by Jutland, Fyen, 

 and Zeeland ; there they met the bitter blasts from the north 

 and east, and there they remained, much to the delight of 



76 



