246 WILD BIRDS THROUGH THE YEAR 



shank is seen in the air. These movements of the 

 redshanks are not so intense and agitated as the 

 movements of the bird when the hen is on her eggs 

 and an intruder comes near. But the action of the 

 redshank's wing, I think, is always the same. It has 

 a kind of stiff, quick jerk not unlike that of turtle 

 doves at full flight. 



When first I watched redshanks in a water meadow 

 by the Test I thought this curious jerking action 

 might be a kind of love flight only, a wing ecstasy like 

 the snipe's, or the woodcock's. But redshanks 

 always jerk stiffly through the air. The strokes are 

 many, ending and beginning suddenly. The stroke 

 may remind one of that of an imperfect rower who 

 clips or does not finish his stroke well. With such 

 long, fine tapered wings, one would look for strong, 

 smooth action in the redshank. The flight, however, 

 though the individual stroke seem short and clipped, 

 is powerful enough. The redshank could migrate 

 against any bird. 



Near where the redshank cries and circles through 

 the year is the withy wood at the back of the 

 headland from which the notes of willow wren and 

 chiff-chaff always come by mid- April. I missed the 

 earliest willow wrens at the estuary . . . but, 

 hark, even as I write this in the open air the first song 

 of the bird, delicious as ever, sounds from the edge 

 of the sea cliff ! 



The first willow wren is as good as the first 

 swallow. Once more an English spring ! 



