The Natural History of Selborne

That noise in the air of some thing passing quick over our heads after it becomes dark, & which we found last year proceeded from the Stone-curlew, has now been heard for a week or more.  Hence it is plain that these birds, which undoubtedly leave us for the winter, return in mild seasons very soon in the spring; & are the earliest summer birds that we have noticed.  They seem always to go down from the uplands towards the brooks, & meads.  The next early summer bird that we have remarked is the smallest Willow-wren, or chif-chaf; it utters two sharp, piercing notes, so loud in the hollow woods at to occasion an echo, & is usually first heard about the 20th of March.