160 MY NATURE NOTEBOOK. 



BIRDS AND WINDS. 



October 9. The winter birds continued to arrive 

 betimes, though the persistent east winds of the first 

 week of October rather confused their order, bringing 

 among their ranks from Scandinavia many summer 

 birds which would under ordinary circumstances have 

 continued their journey, mostly by land, across Europe. 

 The same winds had no doubt driven British birds, 

 migrating from the north, towards the west coast ; 

 and the far southern counties, from Gloucestershire 

 to Cornwall, had prospects of being wonderfully well 

 stocked with birds in the coming winter. On the 

 south coast of Devonshire and Cornwall especially 

 many more birds than usual would be likely to stay 

 for the winter unless, of course, the wind changed 

 to the west before the bulk of them had arrived 

 there. The weak-winged chiff-chaff and corncrake 

 are not the only birds which shrink from crossing 

 the widening Channel, unless a very bitter wind 

 compels. 



SUMMER BIRDS FROM NORWAY. 



Last week's diary of bird migration, from a point 

 of observation on the North Norfolk coast, brought 

 us to the morning of October 2, when only those 

 house-martins which had young in their nests re- 

 mained. A very strong east wind, however, was 

 blowing, and during the day many more came from 

 oversea ; and on the next morning the strong east 

 wind still blowing flycatchers and redstarts were 

 also seen to have arrived, as well as a number of 



