BIRD LIFE ON THE BROADS 203 



paratively easy to predict the species most likely to 

 be met with in any one of these situations. So in 

 Broadland anyone with a good knowledge of birds 

 may make a pretty shrewd guess beforehand what 

 kinds he will have a chance of observing, and, what 

 is more, will probably succeed in finding most of 

 them. There are, of course, many ubiquitous 

 species so generally given to wander, and to make 

 themselves at home under almost any conditions that 

 we do not expect them to observe strictly the 

 boundaries above indicated. Hence we need not 

 be surprised to see about the broads several common 

 birds of wide distribution which may be observed 

 any day without going so far afield. What we look 

 for, naturally, are the characteristic marsh birds, 

 the waders, the swimmers, and the aquatic warblers, 

 though something, of course, will depend upon the 

 time of year at which our visit is made, for the 

 warblers are only to be found there in summer, at 

 which season bird life seems always more abundant, 

 by reason of its being the nesting time. 



As we approach the broad to step into our punt, 

 one of the first birds to come into view is a Peewit, 

 which rises near the edge of the water and flies out 

 over the marsh, its conspicuous black and white 

 plumage showing up well in the course of its char- 

 acteristic evolutions. Almost at the same time the 

 wild, tuneful note of the Redshank is heard, as first 

 one and then another of these birds rises from the 

 marsh and follows in the direction of the retreating 

 Peewit. A very different looking bird is the Red- 

 shank on the wing. Viewed from behind with 



