IIEDSIIANK. 
3 
that the young must have been transported by their parents after the manner of the Woodeock ; but on 
mentioning the circumstance to a friend in the neiglihourliood, he stated that many years ago a brood of young 
in down liad been observed swimming between the same two hills. 
Itedlegs occasionally sAvim, though it is seldom that they resort to this means of progression. On 
Maich 28th, 1883, I AAas examining through the glasses a small party of four IVaders feeding on the mud at 
a piece of water near Shoreham, and had just identified them when, startled hy a dog, they got on wing, 
and after flying about a couple of hundred yards, pitched in the water exactly opposite Avhere I Avas 
concealed, and swam at once to shore, a distance of five or six yards; their heads were bobbed up and 
doAAii Avhile svAimming, in much the same fashion as the Moorhen. A couple Avhich I shot, in order that there 
should be no doubt as to the species, proved to he an adult in winter plumage and a young liird of the 
previous year. 
Tliese IVailers, at ti.eii- summei- haunts, may frequently ho seen taking up a commanding position, 
and resting for a time or calling loudly on stakes, rails, hoat-housos, stacks of rushes, and occasionally on 
shruhs and hushes. I have watched one now and then endeavouring to steady itself on a waving twig of willow, 
spreading its wings from time to time as its perch sw.aycd to and fro with the breeze. 
During storms of thunder, towards the close of siiiiinier or early autumn, large flights of this species 
together with other TVaders, are frequently attracted at night hy the lights of towns in the neighbourhood 
of heir haunts, and may he heard flying over, calling loudly, for hours at a time. Immense flocks are usually 
to he found collected on the mudbanks at daylight on the morning following their aerial demonstrations. This 
was particularly the case on Breydon Flats on the morning of September oth, 1872, and again on Aimust 2flth 
the following year. On the latter date the movements of Waders appear to have been general airorer the 
sou hern and eastern parts of the country. The cries of Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshanks, and other mud-hirds 
could he distinguished over Yarmouth for hours, and the fact of large flocks of Waders having passed over London 
cuimg the same storm was recorded in more than one publication. On this oceasion, for a few hours after 
at ight. Redshanks were collected m the largest numbers that ever came under my observation : tliere were 
eunner'”''\r numbering over a thousand. There was not another 
g ner on the water (a rare occurrence on Breydon); and the birds being unsuspicious of tlaimer I was 
a e to examine the whole of the flocks at short distances with the glasses. A few hundred Knots, a score or 
0 of Greenshanks, and about a dozen immature Spotted Redshanks were the only strangers to be detected 
lad been exceedingly blusterous with squalls of driving mist and rain, I was anxious to fire the charge from 
mass o*f Rri" load afresh. Selecting as my mark a long-legged Wader that appeared conspicuous in a dense 
bird , ^ *'“= ““d proceeded to collect the slain. Owing to a heavy shower, this 
m statu -peeted through the glasses, and I was somewhat surprised to find that the specimen 
1 1 *“"P'.v I-oung bird of the common species. Numbers of 
but niW ' ° ° p •''““"g’ around, and five or six imiiiaturo Greenshanks had also fallen to the shot, 
usual i ° r * *'°***''^ Redshank could be seen. On carefully examining the bird, it proved to he in the 
of bear™'* T* ’’ Common Redshank, and presented not the slightest diircrenco in the colouring 
Ion ti°* !f ’ * “ " measured from the tliigh dowuwards, wore precisely li inch 
longer than those of any of the others, either old or young, killed hy the same discharge, 'nils ex“ra 
eth of limh and consequent height must have caused the mistake, which a glance through the ^lasses would 
ave rendered impossible, as the colouring of the breasts and undorparts of the immature hi ds of th t^^ 
species diflfers considerably*. 
Eedshaiiks, probably non-breeding birds, are to be seen occasionally frequenting Breydon mudflats all 
* This specimen, having been unfortunately overlooked and forgotten at the close of the day’s work, was not preserved. 
