8o WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



He fired his big gun at them, killing one ; and the other, after 

 hovering round its dead companion for some moments, flew 

 away towards a parcel of wigeon swimming in George's 

 "deck," near which it settled. At that period avocets had not 

 such a high price placed upon their heads as they now have, 

 and wigeon were more saleable. Goodens, thinking it 

 would be safe to let the avocet alone a bit, owing to its tame- 

 ness, decided to have first shot at the ducks; but while he 

 was deciding upon a method of procedure, and ere he had 

 "laid" his gun, up they flew, the avocet joining them, and 

 went right away to the north-east, it is hoped to less inhospit- 

 able shores. 



"Breakfast!" shouted Jary. 



****** 



April is generally a pleasant month on Breydon, for the 

 days are lengthening, and milder weather as a rule obtains ; 

 but there comes occasionally the piercing north-easter, from 

 over the bleak North Sea, chilling and depressing. One year, 

 as late as May nth, I was tarring the hull of the Moorhen in 

 the midst of a blinding snowstorm. 



April is a month of no small interest to the naturalist, for 

 many migratory birds are changing their quarters, making 

 this eastern corner of the country a sort of half-way house ; 

 and their appearance is too regular to surprise us. Some 

 birds may be looked for almost to a day, although their 

 presence and their numbers may be regulated by winds and 

 weather. It seems to me that migratorial birds generally 

 like to travel with a side wind ; a few are seen coming at 

 times dead against it, and if it is likely to be shortly coming 

 forcefully behind them, they will come on well ahead of it. 

 This occurs both in spring and autumn, so far as my observa- 

 tion goes. The swallows, the black terns, the swifts, and the 

 godwits, with several others, might make use of an avine 

 time-table ! 



OUT BIRD WATCHING 



A fine bracing morning tempts us to push off in the punt, 

 on the rising tide, for an hour or two of loitering among the 



