Part 15

Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant, often commoner than the Greater Yellow-legs and more apt to be noted in small flocks. It is to be found from late April to mid-May and from early August to mid-October.

Look for the Yellow-legs along some mud-flat, preferably on an inland pool. The clear whistle may be imitated easily, and will sometimes lure the birds back after they have taken flight. Both the Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs jerk their bodies stiffly as they become uneasy.

SOLITARY SANDPIPER Tringa solitaria solitaria Wilson

Description.—Smaller than Robin; flight swift and graceful; wings in flight look black. Adults: Upperparts dark olive-brown; head and neck streaked, and back finely spotted with white; middle tail-feathers dark, the others white, barred with black; underparts white, the breast streaked, the sides sometimes barred with black. In winter the birds are similar but are less streaked and spotted. Length: 8½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—Common and regular migrant from early May until about the first of June and from mid-July to early October. It sometimes occurs in midsummer and may nest, though we have no actual records at present.

The Solitary Sandpiper is confused more easily with the Spotted Sandpiper than with any other species. It jerks stiffly and does not bob constantly as does the Spotted when approached; the wings of the Solitary are dark, unmarked, while the Spotted Sandpiper’s wings have a band of white which shows plainly in flight; and the Solitary’s tail appears white in flight, while that of the Spotted is dark. Look for the Solitary Sandpiper at small pools in woodlands, or along the grassy margins of slow-moving streams or of ponds.

The Willet and Western Willet (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus and s. inornatus) rarely occur. They are large gray shore-birds, much barred with blackish above and below in spring, plain gray above in winter, the wings always with large, noticeable white patches which show plainly in flight. Length: 15 inches.

BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER; UPLAND PLOVER Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein)

Other Names.—Field Plover; Prairie Whistler.

Description.—Larger than Robin; tail rather long and much pointed; upperparts rich buffy; the head and neck streaked and the back barred with black; primaries dark brown, the outermost barred with white; inner tail-feathers dark brown, the outer ones buffy, all tipped and edged with white, showing plainly in the field, and all more or less barred with black and marked with noticeable subterminal band of black; underparts whitish, the breast and sides washed with buffy and marked with black in the form of delicate bars, arrow-heads, and spots; legs and feet brownish yellow. Young birds are similar but the buffy coloration is richer. Length: 11½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather local summer resident, found only in wide, open fields, apparently rare in western Pennsylvania, save in Mercer and Crawford counties where it nests irregularly, but fairly common in southeastern Pennsylvania, where it inhabits the wide fields in the less mountainous districts from early April to mid-September.

Nest.—A depression in the ground, usually in the middle of a large, flat, upland field, not near water. Eggs: 4, buffy brown, spotted with dark or reddish brown. The eggs are surprisingly large for so small a bird, as is the case in all shore-birds.

The Upland Plover is a bird of wide pastures and grassy fields. It is difficult to approach, save at the nesting season, when it may come near so as to lead us away from its young; but its presence is announced by the high and musical whistle which has given the bird one of its popular names, “Prairie Whistler,” and which it utters from the ground, while in flight, or while perched on a fencepost, telegraph-pole, or tree.

The flight of this bird is singularly beautiful as, with wide wings beating through a comparatively short arc, it fairly quivers through the air. All its movements seem tremulous and graceful, and as it alights it lifts its wings gracefully, high above its back, and folds them carefully.

Its call-note, which is heard as the bird is disturbed, is a mellow, bubbling whistle, very musical, and with a quality of liquidity which few bird-notes possess.

The young birds run about shortly after hatching and are difficult to find. They never go to the margins of streams to hunt their food, as do other members of the family, and when autumn comes they mount to the sky and make their way to the prairies of Texas where they stop for a time while en route to their winter home in Argentina.

If this magnificent bird is given careful protection, it may survive; but unless it is guarded in South America, as well as in its nesting-grounds, there is little hope for it.

SPOTTED SANDPIPER Actitis macularia (Linnæus)

Other Names.—Tilt-up; Tip-up; Peep.

Description.—Larger than an English Sparrow, with long, narrow, pointed wings; upperparts brownish gray, with a faint greenish gloss, more or less barred with black; an indistinct superciliary line of white; face and underparts white, spotted throughout with black, the largest spots on the sides and flanks; wings like back, the bases of the primaries and secondaries whitish, showing in flight; inner tail-feathers dark like back, outer ones lighter, about white, but never appearing, even in flight, as white as in the Solitary Sandpiper. Immature birds are not spotted below, and the barring of the upperparts is restricted to the scapulars and wing-coverts; there is a slight buffy gray wash on the breast. Length: 7½ inches.

Range in Pennsylvania.—Common summer resident throughout from mid-April to late September. It is found along all small streams, sometimes even in the mountains and heavily wooded districts.

Nest.—On the ground, often near a stream, sometimes in a field, and made of dead weed-stalks, lined with finer materials. Eggs: 4, whitish to brownish buffy, irregularly and sometimes heavily spotted and blotched with reddish brown, usually about the larger end.

The Spotted Sandpiper is our best-known shore-bird. It is not particularly wary, and frequents all the small streams which have not been polluted. As it runs along the muddy margin, it bobs and teeters constantly, perhaps calling softly. Fluttering out over the water, its wing-tips almost touching the surface, it whistles tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, clearly, and circles back to the shore or alights on a stone or fallen tree. The white areas in the wings show rather plainly in flight.

The young are so small and flimsy that they are comical, with their wisps of tails and long, slender feet. They can swim readily, however, and run with amazing rapidity. Even the adult can swim and dive if necessary.

The Spotted Sandpiper is a much more energetic, nervous bird than its relative, the Solitary Sandpiper, and it is not so often found wading about in deep water as is that somewhat larger, darker bird. When the two species fly up, the Solitary usually utters two or three loud, sharp whistles as it flies directly away, or up into the air. The Spotted, on the other hand, usually flutters away, just a little above the water, and customarily circles back to the shore not far away.

KILLDEER Oxyechus vociferus vociferus (Linnæus)

Other Names.—Killdee; Killdeer Plover.

Description.—Three toes; size of Robin; forehead, patch over eye, throat, ring around neck, and underparts white, the breast crossed by two prominent black bands; forepart of crown and line from bill under eye, blackish; rest of head and upperparts gray-brown, with greenish reflections; wings with bases of flight-feathers white, showing plainly in flight; rump and upper tail-coverts bright orange-brown; middle tail-feathers dark brown, outer feathers white, all with white tip and irregular subterminal bar of black; bill black; feet pale flesh-color; eyelids red. Length: 10½ inches.