THROUGH THE YEAR 59 



nor the grasshopper warbler's, sedge warbler's, 

 landrail's. These birds are heard constantly 

 through the night as through the day. I should 

 think the nightjar, followed eve after eve very 

 exactly for periods of both fine weather and wet or 

 cold, would be helpful ; he probably strikes up each 

 eve at the same state of twilight, tending to begin a 

 little earlier as the days shorten. The nightjar 

 sings again at dawn. I have heard the song about 

 half-past two in the morning ; the place being a wet 

 heath and wood where there are always nightjars 

 and grasshopper warblers. But the nightjar will 

 also sing in the moonlight, sometimes at midnight 

 and at one o'clock, as I found one summer at Shore- 

 ham in Kent. Thus, his song may be more or less 

 continuous or spasmodic from eve till dawn ; and 

 if so the nightjar would not be trustworthy save for 

 the evening hours of the clock. 



The call note of the redstart is heard very late, 

 almost on the verge of dark through July, and I 

 doubt not the bird is as exact a timekeeper as the 

 thrush. The redstart might well be on the bird 

 clock for late summer ; but I only speak of his 

 poignant call ; or " alarm note " for, though I have 

 known redstarts during most of my life, I have never 

 heard their song. 



Major Arundel was surprised to find the whinchat 

 an early morning singer. He says it sings, too, late 

 in the day even at dusk. I have only heard whin- 

 chats singing in full daylight, but of late years I 

 have not heard them at all. The swallow I should 



