Part 49

This inland species, which is a summer migrant to our islands, is common and well distributed along the margins of lakes and on the gravel shores of streams and rivers. In the south and east, where suitable localities are scarce, it only occurs on migration, but elsewhere it breeds regularly.

The note is a plaintive "wheet, wheet, wheet," generally uttered on the wing. It is a very pleasing bird in its actions, running along the margin of the water and moving its body with a peculiar and delicate see-saw motion. When flying it remains fairly low down and follows the course of the stream, generally keeping over the water. Its food consists of worms, flies, and insects. The nest is placed on the ground, usually near the margin of some water, or on a rocky or gravel islet. The spot chosen is sometimes quite bare, or at other times thickly overgrown with brambles and rough vegetation. For a wading-bird it constructs a fairly substantial nest of grass and leaves, etc., and the eggs are of a pale clay buff, spotted with brown. The young when first hatched are greyish green with longitudinal dark stripes.

In August or early in September they begin to leave their summer-quarters and may then often be found in the salt marshes and on tidal ditches near the shore, but they do not remain there long, and by October they have all left, with the possible exception of a few stragglers that spend the winter in some of the south-western counties.

In summer the upper parts are bronzy brown, irregularly barred and flecked with blackish; sides of the neck and breast grey, with dusky streaks; rest of under parts white. In autumn the upper parts are uniformly brown, or nearly so, and the under parts lighter and with fewer streaks. The young have buff margins to the feathers of the back and lack the dark streaks on the throat. Length 8 in.; bill 1 in.; wing 4·25 in.

THE SPOTTED SANDPIPER Totanus macularius (Linnæus)

This American species has been recorded on several occasions in these islands. It is closely allied to the Common Sandpiper and resembles it in plumage, but in the spring dress it is more spotted on the under parts, and in autumn it is greyer above, and lacks the bronzy tint of our native bird. All the secondaries are barred with ash brown, whereas in the Common Sandpipers the eighth and ninth are nearly white. Length 7 in.; wing 4·2 in.

THE WOOD SANDPIPER Totanus glareola (J. F. Gmelin)

This species is a regular but somewhat scarce visitor to our shores on migration. In Ireland and the west it is extremely rare, but in the south-east corner of England it occurs in small numbers yearly, especially in autumn. Formerly a few pairs used to nest in one or two suitable localities, but they have long ceased to do so. In the west of Europe it does not breed south of the Baltic, but in the east it breeds in the valley of the Danube and also possibly in Northern Italy.

The nest is placed on the ground in a marshy spot, and when they have eggs or young the birds are extremely noisy if their haunts are invaded. In this country it is generally found on salt marshes near the sea and very rarely inland.

The sexes are alike: the back brown, spotted with white; upper tail coverts white; shafts of the quills dusky, except that of the outermost one, which is white. Under parts white, streaked with brown on the throat and breast, the flanks being barred with the same colour. Axillaries white. The young bird is similar, but the white spots are larger and more elongated, and the outer tail feathers are barred on both webs instead of on the outer one only. Length 8·5 in.; bill 1·1 in.; wing 5 in.

GREEN SANDPIPER Totanus ochropus (Linnæus)

This is a much commoner species than the last, and haunts inland streams, especially in the neighbourhood of trees and woods. It is most numerous during the autumn migration, but many pass the winter with us, and it has been suspected of breeding on more than one occasion, but positive proof of this has not been forthcoming.

In the north and west of Scotland it is scarce, but otherwise it is widely distributed throughout the country. On the Continent it nests in marshy woods from the Arctic Circle southwards to Central Russia, Poland, and East Germany, its migrations extending to Africa in the winter.

In its nesting habits it differs from all others Sandpipers, for it lays its eggs in the deserted nest of some other bird, generally that of a Thrush, Blackbird, or Jay. The eggs are greenish grey, with small brownish spots. Its food consists of worms and insects.

In plumage it very closely resembles the preceding species, but the back is darker and the spots much more minute. It may, however, always be distinguished by the dusky shaft of the outermost primary and the brownish black axillaries. In young birds the spots on the back are less plentiful and of a more buffish tint. Length 9·5 in.; wing 5·5 in.

THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER Totanus solitarius (Wilson)

This is an American species, which, like so many of its New World congeners, has occasionally and at long intervals straggled to these islands.

Its nearest ally is the preceding species, from which it may be recognised by having all the tail feathers, except the central pair, boldly barred with black. Length 8·25 in.; wing 5·2 in.

THE YELLOWSHANK Totanus flavipes (J. F. Gmelin)

Two examples of this American species have been obtained, the first near Nottingham and the second at Marazion in Cornwall.

In general appearance it is not unlike a young Redshank, but the legs are longer and more slender, and the axillaries are barred and not white. Length 10·75 in.; wing 6 in.

THE GREATER YELLOWSHANK Totanus melanoleucus (Gmelin)

A solitary example of this species was shot on the 16th September 1906 at Tresco in the Scilly Islands. It is an American species and is not unlike a very large Redshank, but the legs are longer in proportion and yellow in colour. Length 12·15 in.; bill 2 in.; wing 8 in.

THE COMMON REDSHANK Totanus calidris (Linnæus)

The Redshank is a common breeding species in suitable localities throughout our islands.

In winter it occurs abundantly round all our coasts and causes much annoyance to shooters from its habit of flying up on the least alarm and warning all the other less wary fowl, with its shrill "tui too too."

The nest is usually situated on some inland marsh or low-lying grass field intersected with ditches. It is a very slight structure of grass and bents well concealed in a tussock of grass or tuft of rushes. The four eggs are of a pale stone colour, mottled and blotched with rich reddish brown. During the nesting season this bird becomes very noisy, and if the nesting site be approached, especially after the young are hatched, they fly round the intruder or sit on some bank, calling out vigorously all the time. It is a most interesting sight to take a sporting dog to where they have young and watch the way in which time after time these birds will decoy the dog away by fluttering under his very nose until they have led him to what they consider a safe distance, when they will spring in the air and with a cheery note return to their brood. This habit is common to many species and orders of ground-nesting birds, but unless we take a keen hunting dog with us we shall fail to realise what an excellent device it is for safeguarding the young from mammalian vermin. The food and habits of this species call for no special comment, as it does not greatly differ from its congeners.

In winter the adult is greyish brown on the back; secondaries nearly white; rump and under parts white, with a few dark streaks on the neck and breast. Bill black with a red tip; legs red.