A Sfplcjubcr Ramble in the Isle of Wioht. 233 
one else in the wood itself, and that seemed to be whence the 
Jays were excitedly warning everytliing within hearing of the 
presence of suspicions characters. This was followed by the 
chattering of a Magpie. I now saw seven Moorhens in a party 
on the luarsh-land, feeding together. A Curlew's piping sounded 
not far off and, looking up, I saw first a Magpie making for the 
eastern wood, and then the Curlew itself, also making off. 
A field I was approaching contained good beds of thistles, 
and these I anxiously scanned to see if there were any Gold- 
finches about, but saw none. A Woodpigeon flew over and a 
Skylark was heard twittering, but not seen. I had now got 
down on to the low ground and was skirting the wood on the East 
side when two or three birds, of medium size, flew out, as it 
seemed, from the far side of an oak, with the same rasping note, 
distantly resembling a Heron's, that I had heard before. They 
came back once close to the tree, as if to have another look at the 
intruder, and I saw them in full view, but only momentarih', and 
I could not see the colour properly. Again the Woodpigeon was 
seen and the Wren heard warning, and a Pheasant took the alarm 
and flew across the open marshland well out of range. Tlie coo of 
Doves, the caw of a Carrion Crow, and the churr of a Tit were 
noted along with the singing of a Robin. 
Having wended my way along the path on the East side of 
the creek, I came in sight of an interesting view of the head of the 
tidal part, flanked on each side by the wood that clothed the 
rising ground, and again heard the strange sound I had taken for 
a Jay's alarm. Two or three trees close together on the opposite 
side had parts projecting against the sky and in a dead one, I saw 
a Woodpigeon sitting, almost the colour of the dead bark, it 
seemed to me, and close by, two Rooks, also sitting on dead 
branches. Another unusual sound caught my ears, and searching 
the trees opposite where the Rooks were, I was delighted to see a 
bird I had only once before had a good sight of— the Sparrow 
Hawk, a bird common enough, as game preservers know to their 
cost in some parts, but one I have never had the good fortune to 
be able to study in nature. What interested and surprised me 
was, that the Hawk, which I had imagined to be a creature that 
sat almost like a statue if it were perching at all, was moving 
