CHAPTER X 
MOVEMENTS OF WILDFOWL AND SHORE-BIRDS 
At the outset, the uninitiated shore-shooter will do well 
to note roughly what are the general habits of his quarry as 
they are affected by the tides, winds, and other changing 
elements. Of course, there are no absolutely fixed rules de- 
termining how the birds will act under changes of weather and 
andso on. Like the habits of every other living thing, we find 
here and there exceptions; but these, in the case of wildfowl and 
shore-birds, are very occasional. It may be stated that wild- 
fowl are decidedly regular in their movements. In some cases 
they are too regular, and it is the periods when they behave 
irregularly with which the shooter should strive to acquaint 
himself. When the finer art of calculating where the birds 
will strike a line of flight from sea to land, according to the 
direction and strength of the wind, has to be undertaken, we 
arrive at the greatest achievement possible for the shore-shooter, 
Swans are regular visitors to our islands, but their habits 
to the shore-shooter are of little importance, as they do 
not regularly figure in his category. Geese (except during 
very hard weather) always feed by day. Brent wing in from 
sea to feed on the ‘‘zos”’ weed of the mudflats in the early 
morning, and wing seawards when they have fed or towards 
night. Sometimes during land winds they will feed at sea on 
floating weed, and therefore do not visit the flats for days 
together. Bernacle geese are marsh feeders. They frequent 
the tideways during the night and repair at daybreak to feed. 
Grey geese (the pink-footed species, now the commonest 
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