on winter birds in Mid-Dorset.



163



birds to watch. In winter the back loses its lustre, dulls, and goes

olive-brown. During February the gradual burnishing and enriching

of the plumage is very noticeable. The mantle daily gets greener

and glossier. At the same time a red tinge develops under the tail.


Water-hens live in and about the river, where trees and a

hedge overhang the water, quite close to the farm and some cottages.

They may be seen at any time of the day walking about the meadows,

and if alarmed will run swiftly to the water and swim to cover.

Their movements are remarkably quick. There is a scurry of dark

bodies across the turf, converging lines of ripples ending in black

patches, a fleck of white from the under-feathers of the jerked-up

tail, then silence, and no signs of life anywhere along the river.


Wild Ducks are occasional winter visitors to the river, usually

at night, but do not stay for any period, generally gone by next

morning. Apparently they make it a resting-place on a journey.


Immediately below the dairy a stream debouches swiftly into

the river under a low-arched footbridge. Nearly every day during

winter a Jack-snipe flew out from under the bridge when anyone

passed over. The flight is rapid, only a general brown coloration is

distinguishable, but the erratic zig-zag rolling mode of progression

is unmistakable. Snipe are scarce about this valley.


On November 9th, 1916, a Swan flew over, travelling steadily

towards the south-west.


In the end of autumn and during early winter flocks of Wild

Geese went over, going in southerly and westerly directions. In

February flocks were seen going the opposite way. The groups

varied in number from six to twenty. It would seem as if they left

their breeding haunts in Eastern England and spent the winter in

the south and west of the country, returning at the coming of mild

weather. The symmetry of a wedge-shaped flock was admirable.

The leader kept steadily on, and the V-formed following never broke

up. The wedge varied in the space between the two lines, and in

length. The tail inclined to right or left as they swept round in a

great curve, one side rose higher than the other, and for a moment

we caught sight of snow-white under wings, then they resumed a

straight course. At their nearest we could hear the rush of powerful

pinions through the air, a deep drumming note produced by the



