Part 48

The Purple Sandpiper is a winter resident on our rocky shores, and if somewhat local is nevertheless well distributed wherever suitable localities are found.

It has not yet been known to breed within the British area, but it is not unlikely that further investigation may prove that it does so on the Shetlands. Its nearest authenticated breeding-ground is on the Faroes; it breeds also in the north of Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and other circumpolar islands westward to Arctic America, but there is no evidence of its nesting in Siberia. The nest is placed on the sea-shore or on rocky fells near the margin of a lake, and the eggs are usually pale greenish buff, with reddish-brown markings. Both sexes incubate, and the male takes chief care of the brood; if disturbed after the young are hatched, the parent runs about in evident distress, and looks in the low scrub more like a rat than a bird. Their diet consists of insects, crustacea, and other living food, which may be found among the sea-weed growing on rocks; and the most exposed situations are visited as soon as the tide has uncovered the weed.

In summer the adult has the upper parts dark brownish grey, the feathers being spotted with rufous and tipped with whitish. The under parts from the chin to the breast dark grey, with brownish streaks; belly and flanks white, the latter spotted with brown. Three inner secondaries white, showing up conspicuously in flight. In winter the upper parts have a purplish gloss, and the breast is brown, with indistinct mottlings. The young have light margins to the feathers. Length 8·57 in.; bill 1·1 in.; wing 5 in.

The short legs give this bird a "squat" appearance and generally afford a clue to its identity.

KNOT Tringa canutus, Linnæus

In autumn numbers of this species visit our shores, where for a few weeks it is one of the commonest birds, being found on all our coasts except in the west of Scotland. Large numbers leave us again after a few weeks' sojourn, but a fair number remain with us in wide estuaries or sheltered bays throughout the winter. A return migration takes place in spring, the birds being then in the full red plumage of the breeding season; but these soon pass on and only a few weakly and non-breeding birds are left with us during the summer.

For a long time the breeding home of this bird was unknown, and even though it was discovered breeding over thirty years ago, it is only within the last four or five years that authentic eggs have been obtained and brought home from East Siberia. Its chief breeding-grounds are the Arctic regions of North America and the north of Greenland, and in winter it is found down both sides of the Atlantic.

In its food and habits it does not differ from its congeners, with whom it may often be found associating.

In winter the adult is grey on the upper parts and white below, with a few greyish flecks or bars on the upper breast. The young bird is browner, with light margins to the feathers of the back, the breast pale buff pink, with a few grey flecks. In nuptial plumage the head and neck are reddish brown, streaked with black; upper parts black, the feathers having marginal spots of chestnut and white tips; under parts chestnut, spotted with black; vent and flanks whitish, mottled with black. Length 10 in.; bill 1·5 in.; wing 6·5 in.

THE SANDERLING Calidris arenaria (Linnæus)

From its habit of frequenting sandy stretches along our shores, and less frequently near inland lakes, this species has gained its trivial name. To this country it is only a migrant, young birds arriving from their northerly breeding-grounds as early as the middle of August; the old birds follow a week or so later, many of them still retaining traces of the nuptial plumage. They stay with us only a short time, and early in October the majority have left us to winter on the shores of the Mediterranean, very few remaining behind. In May the return migration commences, but they only stay for a very short time to rest and then continue their journey to the Far North.

Their food consists entirely of marine insects, sand-hoppers, and other crustacea, but at their summer-quarters large quantities of the northern saxifrage are consumed. It is very tame, allowing a close approach as it runs about on the sand, and appears conspicuously white among the Dunlins and other shore-birds with which it consorts. The note is a sharp "wick."

Its breeding range is entirely circumpolar, and the eggs are greenish, spotted with brown, not unlike miniature Curlew's.

In its winter plumage, in which it is most commonly met with in this country, the upper parts are pale grey and the under parts white. In its spring plumage the feathers of the back are black, with rufous margins; the chin, throat, and breast chestnut, with a few dark brown spots; vent white. In autumn the rufous edgings on the back of the old birds have almost entirely worn away. Length 8 in.; bill 0·9 in.; wing 4·7 in.

This species may always be distinguished by the absence of the hind toe.

In autumn the young have the back black, spotted with white; the under parts white, with traces of buff on the sides of the breast.

THE RUFF Machetes pugnax (Linnæus)

Formerly this species used to be a regular summer migrant to our shores, breeding in the fen countries and other suitable places, but now, although a few birds visit this country in spring, and possibly a few may still breed, it is only as an autumn visitor that it will be generally found. Even on passage it can hardly be called common, but on our east and south coasts a good many pass through, halting merely for a few days. On the west and in Ireland it is decidedly rare and irregular in its appearances.

This species differs in its nesting habits from all other Waders. The males, who don a special showy ruff in spring, meet at their breeding-quarters on some raised mound and display their finery to the hens. Apparently they are very pugnacious, as they will often jump up and peck at another male, using their feet also after the manner of a gallinaceous bird, but on close observation it will be seen to be all "show," and we have never seen a proper fight between two males. On the arrival of a female the males spread out their ruff and remain motionless in front of her, and as she moves away they will jump up, and quivering with suppressed excitement again display their charms, to which she is apparently quite indifferent. Although said to be polygamous, the question is still open to doubt; from among her many admirers the female chooses one, and observations, so far as they go, seem to show that she only pairs with one male. A male, unless chosen, never pursues the female or interferes with her in any way, but trusts merely in his external beauty to attract her attention.

The nest is placed among rough herbage in a fairly damp place. It is a deep cup, well lined with grass and bents. The eggs, usually four but often three in number, are greyish green, blotched and spotted with various shades of brown. Except during the actual pairing the male takes no part in the housekeeping, and when the females are sitting the males may be seen together in flocks. In food and other habits this species resembles the majority of Waders.

In winter the sexes are alike, except that the male is very much larger than the female. The upper parts are of a uniform brownish, and the under parts brownish grey, with white margins to the feathers; belly white. The young resemble the adults but are darker on the back, the feathers of which have rufous or buff margins. The neck and breast are of a pale pinkish buff.

In spring, the male grows a long ruff on the neck and upper breast as well as a backwardly directed ear tuft on each side of the head. This ruff can be raised or depressed at will, and is of a variety of colours, hardly any two being exactly alike. The face also becomes covered with a mass of warty carbuncles. The feathers of the back and flanks are black, mottled, spotted, or barred with chestnut. The female has no ruff, but becomes darker on the back and breast. Length of male 12·5 in.; bill 1·5 in.; wing 7·25 in.: of female 10 in.; wing 6 in.

THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER Tringites rufescens (Vieillot)

Several examples of this American species have been obtained on our shores. This bird is somewhat like the preceding species although much smaller, but it may always be recognised by the black markings on both sides of the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries. Length 8 in.; bill 0·9 in.; wing 5·25 in.

BARTRAM'S SANDPIPER Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein)

This is another North American species, of which some eight or ten examples have been procured in this country.

Its general colour is pale tawny buff, barred and mottled with blackish. For a Sandpiper its tail is distinctly long and barred. Length 11·5 in.; bill 1·2 in.; wing 6·6 in.

THE COMMON SANDPIPER Totanus hypoleucus (Linnæus)