13 JULY 1944, Page 14

A Wagtail Inroad An oddity of bird movement—if the wagtails

will forgive the phrase—has astonished observers on the river Lea. Just below an old, old mill is 3 bubbling reach where I have seen kingfishers, dabchicks, mallard, moor- hen and grey wagtail, last week appeared a bevy of yellow wagtails. This west-loving bird is seen in many places on migration, but its appearance in numbers in such a district at such a date seems to me quite irregular. Has the mill, once again, I rejoice to say, active, anything to do with the popularity of the water just below it? The publicity of the favoured reach proves no deterrent.