This makes sixty-seven, and I still hear their cry over the moor.
At 6 come three more, also from amphitheatre. Still hear the note near on moor. It sounds like a single note. All these birds were flying south.
At 6.2 leave.
October 15th.—Between 5 and 5.30 p.m. walked to the amphitheatre, and, searching it well with the glasses, could see no birds. Leaving at 5.30, and taking no precautions to conceal myself, I did not put up any, and conclude there were none there, or only some few at a distance. I then walked to the bank, where I arrived at about 5.35 or 5.40. Searching the heather, I could see no birds there; but now very dark for the glasses.
Until a minute or two before 6 there was no cry, but it then began, though to a much less extent even than latterly. Half a dozen birds or less would have been quite sufficient for what I heard.
At 6.10 one bird flew by me over the bank (north, that is; I had seen none before) uttering its note, and from then I heard no more cries till 6.14, when I thought I heard one very faint one, but cannot be sure. From then till 6.20, when I left, I heard nothing more. (The last, I think, was a mistake.) I believe the notes for some time had been those of the solitary bird that flew by me.
October 16th.—Walked up road by moor, and arrived at usual place at 5.50 p.m.
In a moment or two three birds flew by, and shortly after a fourth. I heard the cry of a fifth bird flying farther off.
At 5.57 heard the note of another, and again a moment afterwards.
6.0.—A note from a bird, I think, flying.
Saw or heard no others up to 6.10, when I left.
October 17th.—Same place as yesterday at 5.40 p.m., and at 5.49 heard first notes of the Plovers.
5.45.—One bird flies by silently. Hear others in heath, but there do not appear to be many.
5.51.—Eleven birds fly off in silence. Still hear note in heather.
