3O2 Wild Life in a Southern Coiinty 



CHAPTER XX. 



WILDFOWL OP THE LAZE SEA BIRDS DRIFT WOOD FORCES OF 

 NATURE AT WORK WAVES EVAPORATION AN EAGLE FROST AND 

 SNOW EFFECT ON BIRDS AND ANIMALS WATER-MEADOWS SHOOT- 

 ING STARS PHOSPHORESCENCE WATERSPOUT NOISES 'IN THE AIR.' 



THE ' summer snipe/ or sandpiper, comes to the lake 

 regularly year after year, and remains during the warm 

 months. About a dozen visit the shallow sandy reaches 

 running along the edge of the water, when disturbed 

 flying off just above the surface with a plaintive piping 

 cry. They describe a semi-circle, and come back to the 

 shore a hundred yards farther on ; and will do this as 

 many times as you like to put them up. Sometimes they 

 feed in little parties of two or three : sometimes alone. 

 No other place for some distance is visited by the sand- 

 piper : none of the ponds or brooks ; only the lake. 



In summer but a few species of birds remain on this 

 piece of water. Only two or three wild ducks stay to 

 breed : their nests are not found on the mere itself, but in 

 the ponds adjacent. One small pond fed by the lake and 

 communicating with it dug where the muddy shore would 

 otherwise prevent cattle approaching the shallow water 

 a quiet spot almost surrounded by bushes, is a favourite 

 nesting-place. The brooks that run in are occasionally 

 used by ducks in the same way, and one of the large 

 ditches which is full of flags and rushes and well sheltered 



