September 30th.—About 3 p.m. walked to the bank and noted Plovers assembled in heather as usual. Could count thirty-three. In the evening, walking along road skirting moor, many flew over it and on over the fields and cultivated lands. These—and perhaps the immediate shores of the river, mud, &c.—are, I have no doubt, their feeding-grounds during the night.
October 1st.—6.50 a.m.—Pigeon comes down on plateau and soon flies away.
One Peewit flew by at 6.55 a.m.
Some Great Plovers standing about on outer edge amongst the black (withered or burnt) heather, but no Peewits.
7 a.m.—Hawk flies by, pursued, or accompanied for a little, by a Starling.
First hear cooing of Wood-Pigeons.
Left house at 5 a.m., but am too late for the Great Plovers, who have evidently all returned. I did not see one flying, but noted them in the heather through glasses as soon as light enough to use them.
7.5.—Flock of Peewits go by flying fast and high.
6 p.m.—Great Plovers fly over road skirting moor, the greater number crossing river and keeping right on towards the higher lands on the other side. These are cultivated to some extent. Some few birds did not fly in this direction, but kept over the fields on this side of the river, and some must have come down in a ploughed field adjoining the road, as I heard their note there from behind the hedge. I was this evening nearer to the river when the birds began to fly, so probably met those that flew across it. Yesterday, when further from it, and nearer to the birds' resort, those I saw seemed to fly over the fields, keeping parallel to and on this side of the river. Probably, therefore, they fly off in all directions, like the spokes of a wheel from the nave to the circumference, and return in the same way, only reversed—which might account for my seeing so few from any one point—for both at morning and evening there is the gloom to contend with. These birds seemed like wild spirits flying out on a stormy sky, and their wailing note was all in unison. They flew high and strongly, and made one wish to be one of them, and have done with human pettinesses.
October 4th.—Going out at 4.30, when it was still dark,
