86 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



windy night, for twisting currents may soon cause one to lose 

 one's bearings. 



The Five-stake drain starts from the main channel against 

 stake Number 3. We noticed five rugged stumps, which 

 marked the entrance to this drain until recently; these gnarled 

 timbers have stood there since I first knew Breydon. To-day 

 they have no significance beyond naming the drain which 

 now runs out south of them, the bridge buttresses having 

 somewhat altered the set of the tides. Now and again an 

 ambitious gull perches atop one : in the 50*5 and 6o's, on 

 these and many of the Breydon stakes, cormorants used 

 frequently to perch, with their wings half-open and ungrace- 

 fully hung out to dry, after a feast of herrings and flounders. 

 I have seen odd ones doing so in the 8o's. 



That valiant Britisher the osprey, or fishing hawk, was no 

 stranger on Breydon in the olden days ; but every man's 

 hand was then, as it is now, against it, and I fear that this 

 bird, which by its appearance would add a charm to this 

 wilderness, will never visit us again. Just imagine what a 

 delightful picture an osprey would make perched on yonder 

 stake, with a cormorant on the next one, a half-dozen spoon- 

 bills on the flat behind, and a score beautiful herons, as we 

 often see them now, working the drains on the right ! Let 

 me sketch a picture. . . . 



" Johnny " Thomas was loafing around in his old grey punt, 

 with his half-fingerless hands clothed in woollen, fingerless 

 gloves, and his short legs encased in huge water-boots that 

 swallowed half his length. 



"Gawd bliss my sowl and body!" (his favourite invocation) 

 said Thomas, " I hain't had a shot this mornin' ! " but just as 

 he neared the Five-stake drain, a magnificent osprey was 

 observed restlessly flitting from post to post in the intervals 

 of a search for its breakfast. For some time Thomas hoped 

 and tried in vain to get a shot at it. 



" All right, Johnny," said " Fiddler " Goodens, who was 

 hovering in the vicinity, " I'll sune have him on a stake," and 

 he at once began pitching out some of the liveliest roach and 

 bream he had in the boat with him. Goodens had been, 

 early that morning, a mile or so up the Bure with a net after 

 fresh-water fishes, which he was then taking up Breydon to 

 use as bait in his eel-pots. 



