NOTES FROM ALDEBURGH. 15 



On August 29th an old Curlew dropped within a very easy- 

 distance of our punt on the mud ; five or six Knots came up 

 from the north and flew round the mere at a considerable 

 height ; no mud being uncovered they went away south, possibly 

 to the Aide river. Two days later some Knots pitched on the 

 beach about 6 p.m. ; one was in winter dress, but the other, a 

 female, still bore considerable traces of the red breast. 



On September 22nd, as I was crossing the bridge near A.'s 

 cottage, I was attracted by the movements of a small grey 

 stranger on the bank ; I called A., and he crept within a few 

 yards of the bird, but missed it, probably from excitement, for 

 he saw that it was a Grey Phalarope beyond doubt, examining it 

 very closely; I myself obtained a good view of it, for it was 

 feeding busily ; when missed, it flew away to the right and 

 pitched on the mud at some distance ; before we got up to it, 

 away it went again, this time to sea ; it was in full winter 

 dress. A little later, a Lesser Tern came flying up the marsh 

 towards us, near the railway line ; being alone, he answered a 

 call and A. got a shot, but, to my regret, breaking both wings. 

 Its eyes were wonderfully bright ; being an immature bird it is 

 possible that it had been bred in the neighbourhood. The larger 

 Terns apparently disappeared from Aldeburgh between the 2nd 

 and 7th of September. We stopped a solitary Dunlin ; in the 

 afternoon A. brought me a fine Bar-tailed Godwit, a mature 

 male, still wearing the red breast of summer ; the latter was 

 also killed on the edge of the marsh, near A.'s own house, which 

 affords excellent opportunities for observing birds. 



Turning out shortly before 6.30 a.m. on September 4th, I 

 found that a large body of Sand Martins, together with a few 

 House Swallows, were already streaming away south, apparently 

 following the coast-line. When first observed, the air was 

 literally full of them ; by 7 a.m. the main flight had passed, 

 though a few stragglers continued to pass southwards during the 

 greater part of the day. 



After reaching Thorpe Bridge, and passing a number of 

 C. riparia resting upon the sails of the water-mill, I struck into 

 the marsh, but saw and heard no waders except Binged Plover, 

 until I crossed the railway line, when a Green Sandpiper got up 

 from the side of the river, this part being preserved, and went 

 away showing the white tail conspicuously. I subsequently 



