Frederick Boyes

“ No bird is fonder of basking in the warm sunshine than the Nightjar. We have found it sitting on the shingle at the seaside, where the stones were so hot with the noonday sun that the hand could scarcely bear the contact.—Ed. ”

“ My informant, who is a capital shot, and has lived on the Humber-side all his life, said he never remembered to have seen so many geese and ducks in the Humber in all his experience, and I am certain no one could be better qualified to give an opinion. ”

“ A flock of Common Linnets were seen several times, but as these birds breed there amongst the coarse grass, I cannot include them in the migratory list. I saw no Twites, though they are usually present there in the autumn, nor did I see a single Snow Bunting. The only summer birds I noticed were one or two Willow Wrens.
All the species I have mentioned were resting from their journey, and would be moving again in a few days: some of them only rest a day and then are off again, and their places are taken by others. ”

“ The spot is well situated for the observation of migratory birds as they pass overhead or rest after their long journeys, and has long been noted for the number that annually alight there, many of them being so fatigued with their passage that they are only too glad to pitch on the first strip of land they fall in with, no matter how unsuited it may be to their natural requirements.
During the two or three days of easterly winds which prevailed previous to my visit, a great portion of the large army of southward-bound birds had already passed Spurn ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1929, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 94 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”