NOTES AND QUERIES. 325 



the trip. The following extracts from my note-book will give a pretty fair idea 

 of these movements this season : — Wigeon fairly plentiful, Feb. 17th. Small 

 bunches of Larks flying north-east, Feb. 20th. Fifty Curlews on Breydon, 

 Feb. 27th. Flocks of Ringed Plovers on Breydon, March 1st. Sailed past 

 several Dunlins, on March 28th, on edge of " flat " ; they were as grey as 

 in depth of winter. About two thousand Starlings on a marsh, March 28th. 

 Late for so big an assembly. Query, were they late-hatched birds? Will 

 they remain unnesting? Numbers of Little Auks washing ashore dead ; 

 thirty picked up last week in March ; also some Puffins. Wedge-flights of 

 Starlings moving seawards, March 29th. About one hundred Wigeon on 

 Breydon, April 17th. Six Geese passing over (Whitefronts ?), April 18th. 

 A few Godwits reported on beach, April 17th. Sailed into flock of one 

 hundred Wigeon, April 20th. Several Kentish and Common Crows 

 together on Breydon mud-flats, April 20th. Five Kentish Crows on 

 Breydon late as May 11th ; one had a drooping wing; the other laggards 

 were no doubt anxiously wishing to be off, but loath to leave him ; they were 

 gone next day. One Spoonbill said to have been seen a few hours on 

 Breydon on April 28th ; on June 7th twelve were reported to me as seen 

 there ; I was on Breydon myself, but it was so rough I went in a leeward 

 direction, otherwise I should have gone by the very flat they were said to 

 have rested upon for only an hour or two. I did not see them. By one 

 or two they were mistaken for Swans, a not unusual error to those who 

 see them at a distance. Several Grey Plovers on Breydon, May 5th ; 

 wind south-west, suddenly veering to south-east by next morning — a shift 

 I expected. A precisely similar thing happened on May 25th, the 

 wind backing from north-east to south-east in a few hours [cf. ante, 

 p. 162). Some delightfully " Black-breasted " Plovers (old gunner's nick- 

 name for Greys) on Breydon, May 10th; they were very tired, and I 

 " quanted" to within a few paces and watched them. Only Knots seen, 

 May 9th ; about five or six. Seven Swifts arrived on May 11th ; an early 

 arrival. We usually expect five pairs. They vanished for a few days, it 

 being cruelly cold, and returned again. Only very few Godwits. Saw three 

 on May 12th ; have seen only one or two others since. Saw a pair of 

 Shovelers on May 16th ; they undoubtedly nested in the vicinity, but, as 

 they have frequently visited Breydon since, their nest may have been rifled. 

 Saw them to-day (June 10th). Observed Whimbrel in couples, May 16th ; 

 they were numerous a week before, hunting singly or in small scattered 

 flocks. Several there as late as to-day (June 10th). A few Yellow Wag- 

 tails on marshes, May 16th, by no means plentiful as of yore. Saw one 

 Turnstone, May 28th ; only one I have seen. A goodly sized flock of 

 Ringed Plovers on May 27th ; a few on Breydon to-day (June 10th), 

 possibly birds nesting on the adjacent coast ; also three Dunlins, probably 



