THE BIRDS OF NORTH KENT. 111 
be Whimbrel (Numenius phwopus); veritable travellers these, 
not to be turned from their purpose as they drive along on their 
journey to the summer days beyond the Equator. A shrill echo 
of their cry is heard close at hand, as a solitary straggler of the 
species rises from the salt-marsh, and with hurried wing-beat 
hastens in its attempt to overtake its comrades overhead. A 
“wisp” of a dozen birds flying swiftly past catches your eye as 
being in part strangers. Half of them you define quickly as 
Ringed Plover; the others, about the same size, you see to be 
a pale grey above, pure white underneath, with white tips to the 
secondaries, and blackish primaries. As the party settles in a 
little bay of fine sand it divides into two clusters, and by means 
of glasses you are able to add to your description of the strangers 
a black bill, and a shade of darkness around the eyes. They are 
without doubt Grey Phalaropes (Phalaropus fulicarius), already 
in winter plumage. This sight is already sufficient reward for 
your day’s outing, because it adds a new record to your list of 
birds observed in the district. 
You have had time to partly conceal yourself behind a sloping 
bank of sand, half overgrown with vegetation, whence you make 
notes on the disturbed parties of birds coming and going. 
Turnstones are present in somewhat larger numbers than usual. 
A flight of various small waders comes over a creek, headed by 
five or six comparatively large black and white birds, which pass 
quite close to you, so that you see clearly the piebald plumage 
and long bright red bill of the Oystercatcher (Hematopus ostra- 
legus). With a shrill piping whistle they pass out of sight. 
During a moment of quiet you find that there are two small 
birds running over the beach near the water, within ten paces of 
where you lie. A careless glance would dispose of them as 
Ringed Plover. But as they are so close, you look at them 
somewhat critically, and find that there is no continuous band 
of black across the chest, only small patches on each side. The 
young Ringed Plover of the first year has markings of somewhat 
the same description ; it does not get a strong black band until 
the second year. But these birds have not the markings about 
the head of the young of the Ringed Plover, and their general 
sandy tinge of plumage determines them as being a pair of 
Kentish Plovers (4/gialitis cantiana), birds whose only remain- 
