SUMMER HOURS ON BREYDON in 



was a flock of quite four hundred dunlins, that on June 22nd, 

 1899, dashed by my houseboat in a compact body. There 

 was a goodly tide, and a high north-east wind blowing. 

 Only two days before I observed some fine adult birds feed- 

 ing leisurely with some ringed plovers, as if in no hurry to 

 depart. 



Some fine old herons visit us daily all through summer, 

 having now not only themselves to keep, but there are 

 flounders and eels to be taken back to Reedham for their little 

 ones in the heronry. Occasionally a grand old male bird 

 hunches himself up on a flat, or stands uncomfortably perched 

 on some drifted basket or log for a long quiet nap, free for 

 a while from the clamour of his hungry family, for whom he 

 has to cater industriously by day, and by whom, no doubt, 

 his slumbers are often broken at night. I have seen quite a 

 baby heron making his initial efforts at fish-capture as early 

 as June 26th. Young herons, scarcely so cunning as their 

 elders, may be easily distinguished at a distance by their 

 darker plumage and more ragged appearance. They have a 

 habit, too, of pitching down into u knee-deep" water and 

 remaining there, patiently waiting, Micawber-like, for such 

 silly little fishes as may turn up ; and here they will remain 

 until some hapless eel comes within range of the quickly 

 outshot mandibles, or until, wearied by continued ill-luck, 

 another locality is decided upon. The old birds, grown 

 artful with years, show far more energy, and will stealthily 

 march along a drain, or by the side of a flat, with measured 

 step, turning up something for themselves. A fish must 

 indeed be sharp to dash into deeper water and evade that 

 quick bill-thrust and keener eye. 



A young heron, too, is by no means so discreet as his sire, 

 who very promptly drops an eel or a flounder he considers 

 too big to swallow. If there be but the slightest hope of 

 getting it down, the fish is not thrown away for want of 

 kneading and shaking ; but a junior has no eye for propor- 

 tion, and will waste a very long time over a hopelessly large 

 victim, and will at length be robbed of it by some other 

 heron, or will reluctantly let it go again, feeling annoyed 

 with himself, no doubt, for having wasted so much time, and 

 let so many more eligible fish go by. 



One of the most ludicrous sights I ever watched was a 



