or beginning of May, and by July have reared their young, and commenced
flying about the country previous to leaving it, which they do about the
second or third week in September. Their migrations are carried on in
small parties of from six to twenty individuals, and take place at night;
the birds descending, when day breaks, to seek for food upon a river-bank
or similar locality, and usually sleeping for a few hours at noon. Should
the chosen spot prove attractive, it is not uncommon for these parties to
remain for several days before resuming their journey. Sandy localities,
covered with bushes or reeds, are the favourite resorts of these birds;
the latter affording a safe retreat in case of danger or alarm, to which
their timid, cautious disposition renders them peculiarly susceptible.
Naumann mentions that a garden-seat placed about four feet above the
surface of a pond in his garden, and thickly overhung with branches and
surrounded by bushes, was regularly selected as a sleeping-place by all
the Sandpipers that crossed his grounds during their migrations. The
movements of this species are in many respects unlike others of its kind;
it stands erect, walks with an active tripping step, and constantly whips
its tail while in motion. The flight is swift and easy, but, unlike that
of most other Sandpipers, is seldom carried on at any great height in the
air, the bird usually sweeping so close over the surface of the water as
almost to wet its wings; only when finally quitting a spot does it rise
far from the earth, and rapidly seeks another hunting ground. If much
alarmed, it betakes itself to the water, and either swims or dives to a
safe distance from the place of danger. Although remarkably shy, this
species appears readily to distinguish those who are likely to molest
it; and exhibits such adroitness in seeking concealment as frequently to
escape even from the clutches of a Sparrow-hawk. It seldom associates
with other shore birds; and the breeding season once over, the pairs
usually separate, and, like their companions, go their own way, only
joining their fellows if the chosen spot be favourable for food, without
any reference to each other's presence. As the season for incubation
approaches, the male birds exhibit much excitement, and display themselves
to the greatest advantage, darting through the air in zigzag lines, and
trilling forth their call in the hope of attracting the attention of
their desired mates. This call, which commences in a low tone, gradually
swelling and dying away, is exchanged at other times for a high, clear,
resonant, piping note. The nest is formed of twigs, reeds, stubble, or
dry leaves, and is placed at a safe distance from the water, beneath a
sheltering shrub or bush. The pear-shaped eggs vary somewhat in size
and form, and have a delicate, glossy, reddish yellow shell, marked and
spotted with various shades of brown. Both sexes brood, and exhibit great
uneasiness when disturbed; should they be deprived of an egg they at
once desert their post. The young are hatched in about a fortnight, but
remain a little longer under the mother's wing, after which they are led
forth to seek their own food, and in four weeks are fully fledged and
self dependent. The parents display much anxiety for the safety of their
little family, and, if molested, express their alarm by loud cries; whilst
the young at once hurry to a place of concealment, and remain so quiet
as to render their discovery almost impossible without the aid of a dog.
Insects, larvæ, and worms form the usual fare of the Common Sandpipers,
and in search of these they often display most amusing dexterity, gently
approaching such active-winged prey as flies and gnats, with every sign
of extreme caution, and then snapping up the desired morsels by an almost
unerring stroke.
THE GREENSHANK.
The GREENSHANK (_Glottis chloropus_) represents a group distinguished by
their long, slender, hard beak, which curves decidedly upwards, and their
high green feet, which have the toes connected by a skin. The species
we have selected as a type of the rest is the largest of all, being
from twelve to thirteen inches long, and from twenty-one and a half to
twenty-two inches across the wings. The wing measures seven and the tail
three inches. The feathers on the upper portions of the body are black,
edged with white; the lower back, rump, and under side are pure white as
far as the breast, which is striped and spotted with black; the tail is
grey in the centre, and spotted white and black at its sides. During the
autumn the head, nape, and sides of the throat are striped greyish-black
and white, and the mantle-feathers deep grey, spotted and shafted with
black, and edged with white; those on the lower web and crop are striped
and shafted with black. The eye is brown, the beak blackish green, and the
foot greyish green.
The Greenshank principally inhabits the northern portions of the Eastern
Hemisphere, and from thence wanders as far as India, Southern China, and
Africa. In Australia these birds are not seen, and it is still doubtful
whether they visit the American continent. In some parts of Siberia they
are remarkably numerous during the summer months. Such of this species
as appear in Central Europe arrive about the end of July, and wander
about over the face of the country till August or September, when they
commence leaving in order to winter further south. In April and May they
return to the north, travelling by night, and only rarely performing even
a short part of the journey during the day. The Greenshank is a summer
visitor to Great Britain, and is principally seen during its spring and
autumnal migrations. "In the Hebrides," says Macgillivray, "it is met
with in early spring, and generally departs in October, although I have
observed individuals there in November. Previous to the commencement of
the breeding season, and after the young are fledged, it resorts to the
shores of the sea, frequenting pools of brackish water at the head of
the sand-fords, and the shallow margins of bays and creeks. Its habits
are very similar to those of the Redshank, with which it associates in
autumn. It is extremely shy and vigilant, insomuch that we can very seldom
shoot it unless after it has deposited its eggs. Many individuals remain
during the summer, when they are to be found by the lakes in the interior;
indeed, the number of them in Uist, Harris, and Lewis is astonishing. At
that season it is very easily discovered, for when you are perhaps more
than a quarter of a mile distant it rises into the air with clamorous
cries, alarming all the birds in its neighbourhood, flies round the place
of its nest, now wheeling off to a distance, again advancing towards you,
and at intervals alighting by the edge of the lake, when it continues
its cries, vibrating its body all the while. I once found a nest of this
bird in the Island of Harris. It was at a considerable distance from the
water, and consisted of a few fragments of heath and some blades of grass,
placed in a hollow cavity scraped in the turf, in an exposed place. The
nest, in fact, resembled that of the Golden Plover, the Curlew, or the
Lapwing. The eggs, placed with their narrow ends together, were four in
number, pyriform, larger than those of the Lapwing, and smaller than those
of the Golden Plover, equally pointed with the latter, but proportionately
broader, and more rounded at the larger end than either."
The high clear cry of this bird has been compared by Yarrell to the sound
of the syllables "chio, chio." Insects, larvæ, young frogs, and small
fishes are all devoured by the Greenshank; but it is at present undecided
as to what may be regarded as its principal means of subsistence, nor
are we much better informed concerning its habits during the period of
incubation, except that it breeds in the north-eastern portions of the
globe, and forms a slight nest of blades of grass, upon a green knoll,
usually beneath the shelter of a tree. The four large eggs are deposited
in June, and have a pale greenish yellow shell, marked with brownish grey
and reddish brown spots of various sizes. The eggs of the Greenshank are
regarded as among the greatest rarities of oological collections.
* * * * *
The GODWITS (_Limosa_) are recognisable by their large powerful body,
moderate-sized neck, and small head. The high slender foot is four-toed,
and the wing long and pointed, with the first quill longer than the rest;
the short, somewhat rounded tail, is composed of twelve feathers. The
smooth thick plumage is of very uniform hue, and varies according to the
season of the year. The birds of this sub-family have some resemblance
to the Snipes, and also to the _Tringæ_; but their legs are longer and
somewhat stouter in proportion to their size. The chief difference,
however, is in the bill, which in birds that as far as regards their
haunts are such close neighbours, is the most important. The beak of the
Godwits is very long, soft, and flexible; its whole length is rather
compressed, and triangular at the base, depressed in the rest of the
length, and dilated and obtuse at the tip. It has been described as,
"not a snapping bill, nor a boring bill, neither is it a scooping bill,
nor a dabbling bill; indeed, it is difficult to find a single epithet
descriptive of the function it performs, or rather of the manner in which
it performs its functions. It is not shovelling or scooping, for these
birds do not remove from its place the sludge and sediment of the water
among which they seek their food; and they do not dabble and wash the mud
as Ducks do, till they find the substance of which they are in quest.
'Poking' is the nearest epithet, but does not express the action exactly,
as they 'try about' and select their food by the sense of touch, and not
by sight." These Godwits are more of a wading habit than the Snipes, yet
their food is not found in the water, but in the ooze; and if the ooze is
soft enough to be penetrated by the bill, the fact of its being with or
without a small stratum of water over it is of little consequence. Their
food consists chiefly of mud-worms, mud-insects, and mud-larvæ, and the
places which they frequent are the localities in which these most abound.
The banks of the eddies of slow-running streams, or the accumulation of
sludge that is left bare in the estuaries and creeks upon the shores of
low rich land, on the ebbing of the tide, and especially the streams of
mud from the richer ground into the pools of fens, are the favourite
resorts of these birds. They breed in the fens, at a considerable distance
inland, if the ground is suitable, but they descend nearer to the sea in
winter. In their inland haunts they hide themselves during the heat of
the day among the long grass where they have their nests; but when near
the sea, their resting-time varies with that at which the tide leaves
their feeding-places in the best condition. Godwits run very fast, and
make their escape to a considerable distance before taking wing, at which
time they utter a very loud, harsh, and somewhat bleating note. These
birds were formerly much more common with us than they are now, and were
regarded by our forefathers as the daintiest dish in England. They were
sometimes valued as high as four nobles the dozen, after they had been
fattened for the market on bread and milk.
THE RED OR BAR-TAILED GODWIT.
The RED or BAR-TAILED GODWIT (_Limosa rufa_) is on the crown and nape of a
light rust-red, striped with brown. The feathers on the back and shoulders
are black, spotted and edged with rust-red; those of the wing-covers grey
with white borders. The rump is white, spotted with brown. The eyebrows,
throat, sides of neck, and lower parts of the body are bright, dark
rust-red; the sides of the breast and lower tail-covers spotted with
black. The quills are black, veined with white; and the tail grey, striped
with white. The eye is brown, the beak reddish, tipped with blackish grey,
and the foot black. In the plumage of the female all these colours are
duller. During the autumn the coat is principally of a greyish shade, the
upper portions of the body being grey, spotted with blackish brown; the
centre of the beak, rump, and lower tail-covers are white. This species is
fifteen inches and a half long and twenty-six broad; the wing measures two
inches, and the tail two inches and three-quarters.
Great numbers of these birds visit England both during their spring and
autumnal migrations, but they have never been known to breed in our
island, though some few remain throughout the winter. In Holland and the
level parts of France they are far more common, and are annually killed
in great numbers for the London market. The Red Godwits are usually met
with in small parties, and generally occupy the muddy banks of river
mouths or the oozy shores of sea inlets, as such spots afford a rich
supply of the worms, small molluscs, and aquatic animals upon which they
subsist. In April the males acquire their full beauty of plumage, and at
once retire as far north as Iceland, Lapland, and Sweden to breed. Upon
the wing their movements are powerful, though not very rapid. If disturbed
they utter a cry somewhat resembling the bleat of a goat. We are almost
entirely without reliable particulars respecting the incubation of this
bird.
THE BLACK-WINGED STILT.
The BLACK-WINGED STILT (_Hypsibates himantopus_, or _Himantopus
melanopterus_) has a small slight body, slender neck, moderate-sized head,
and a long, weak, straight bill, which is broad and soft at its base,
rounded at the culmen, and curved at its slender tip; the high, weak, and
unusually long foot is unfeathered, and furnished with three toes; these
are connected by a short skin, and armed with small, slender, sharp claws.
The long, pointed wings have the first quill very considerably longer than
the rest; the medium-sized tail is composed of twelve feathers. The short
compact plumage, which is of an almost fur-like texture on the under side,
varies much in appearance, according to the season or age of the bird. In
spring, the back of the head, the nape, and a narrow stripe across the
mantle are black, the latter is shaded with green; the tail is ash-grey;
and the rest of the plumage white, delicately tinted with rose-red on the
fore parts of the body. In the female the hues are less clearly defined,
and the white less pure; the tail is lustreless, and the dark stripe on
the nape paler but broader than in the male bird. In winter the head and
nape are of a greyish shade. The young have the under side greyish white,
the nape grey marked with white, and the shoulder-feathers grey. In all
the eye is of a beautiful carmine-red; the beak black, and the foot pale
carmine or rose-red. This species is fourteen inches and a half long, and
twenty-seven broad; the wing measures nine and the tail three inches.
The Black-winged Stilt inhabits Southern and South-eastern Europe, Central
Asia, and Northern Africa; and during the course of its migrations visits
India, the region of the large salt lakes in Central Asia, and the
countries watered by the Upper Nile. In Southern Russia and Egypt it is
remarkably numerous, and remains throughout the entire year; in Hungary
it is also extremely common; whilst in Spain, Greece, and Southern Italy
it only appears when journeying to or from its winter quarters. Such
of these birds as occupy Southern Europe usually frequent the vicinity
of extensive lakes, and lead a most retired life; but in Egypt, on the
contrary, flocks numbering some two hundred or three hundred individuals,
venture boldly into and about the villages, wherever small pieces of water
are to be found, and allow a man to approach them within a few paces
without any demonstration of alarm. These winter guests remain almost
stationary throughout the cold season, and during that time become very
fat. Towards April most of the flock disappear, while some few remain
to breed. In England, according to Yarrell, this bird is an accidental
though not unfrequent visitor. "On the 9th of June, 1822," says the Rev.
R. Lubbock, "I was returning in the evening from fishing upon Hickling
Broad, in Norfolk, when a bird of this species flew past the boat within
thirty yards. The legs were extended behind, even more in proportion than
those of a Heron; the wings were very much arched; the flight vigorous
and regular. The colour and the length of limb made me guess what it must
be. We searched for it early next morning, and found it precisely in the
same place as the evening before, but it was standing in a shallow pool
of water, mid-leg deep, apparently snapping at the insects as they buzzed
around it."
Although the Black-winged Stilts cannot be regarded as sea-birds, they
prefer salt water, and occasionally appear on the actual coast, in company
with several of its regular occupants. Salt lakes and ponds are, however,
their favourite resorts, except during the breeding season, when they seek
the vicinity of fresh or brackish water. These birds are eminently social
in their habits, and usually live in small companies of from six to twelve
individuals, only keeping apart in pairs during the period of incubation,
and again assembling, but in large flocks, throughout the winter months.
Insects of various kinds, principally flies, gnats, beetles, and larvæ,
form their principal means of subsistence, and these they seize with equal
address from the surface of the water, in the air, or from amidst the mud
and slime. In Egypt this species breeds in April, and in May constructs
a careless nest of coarse grass. Wilson tells us that a nearly-allied
bird inhabiting America merely places a bed of dry grass upon the marshy
ground to receive the eggs when first deposited, but afterwards constructs
a regular nest of a variety of dry materials, which are heaped together
till they frequently form a mass weighing two or three pounds. The eggs,
which are generally four in number, resemble those of the Peewit in form
and size, but have a far more delicate shell, of a brownish, olive, or
greenish yellow, marked with grey and reddish brown spots of various
shapes and sizes, which are most thickly strewn over the broad end. In
Hungary the flesh of the Black-winged Stilt is eaten during the winter,
but even at that season is not very palatable.
* * * * *
The SCOOPING AVOCETS (_Recurvirostræ_) are recognisable by their powerful
body, moderately long, thin neck, large head, and long slender beak,
grooved on its sides to the middle, and compressed towards its acute
tip, which is curved either upwards or downwards. The margins are sharp
and entire, the bill hard and smooth. The long slender tarsi are covered
with scales; and the very long powerful foot furnished with four toes;
the latter are sometimes united by a web in front, the hind toe being
either extremely short or undeveloped. The long, pointed wings have the
first quill longer than the rest. The short rounded tail is composed of
twelve feathers. The plumage of the back is close and compact, and that
of the under side of downy texture. These birds inhabit most countries of
our globe, and frequent the swampy margins of rivers, or salt marshes,
where they are usually seen in pools of shallow water, fluttering their
wings, and shaking their half-bent legs, an action which causes them to
appear as if they would tumble over, while at the same time they utter a
sharp note like the syllable "click" often repeated. Occasionally they
are seen collected in small groups, on open downs covered with grasses
and other kinds of vegetation, when, if alarmed, they frequently run
off in a straight line, or fly very close to the ground. Their mode of
feeding is by scooping, or as it were beating the soft soil with their
flat upturned bill; and when thus engaged they are generally seen wading
up to their breasts in the pools left by the receding tide. They never
swim voluntarily, although furnished with feet so extensively palmated as
to have induced the early systematists to place them among the swimming
birds; nevertheless, this structure is an admirable provision to enable
them to traverse the soft and yielding mud in which they find their food.
The nest is generally formed of dry grasses, seaweeds, and small twigs,
heaped up to the thickness of several inches, and placed among thick tufts
of grass, in the neighbourhood of shallow water. The eggs are four in
number.
THE SCOOPING AVOCET.
The SCOOPING AVOCET (_Recurvirostra avocetta_) is black upon the top of
the head, nape, shoulders, and a large portion of the wings; the rest of
the latter and the remainder of the entire plumage is white. The eye is
reddish brown, the beak black, and the foot greyish blue. In the female,
these colours are less distinct; in the young the black feathers have a
brownish shade, and those on the wings are edged with reddish grey. The
upcurved bill of this bird is most remarkable, and entirely unsuited
to probe the ground or break the shell of ordinary-sized molluscs. The
slightest frost, therefore, drives the Avocet to the oozy muddy flats
of estuaries, bays, and similar situations, where it can patter about
with its wide-webbed feet, and gather small crustaceans and sea-worms.
Those who have seen a Stork or a Crane with a frog at the tip of its
long mandibles, and watched it, as, with an upward movement of the
head, it dropped the victim into its throat, will have a good idea of
the action of the Avocet when it has captured a small shrimp, a marine
insect, or any other of the objects upon which it lives, and at once
perceive that, with such a peculiarly-formed beak, it could not feed in
any other manner. The Scooping Avocets are numerously met with throughout
the Eastern Hemisphere, even as far south as the Cape of Good Hope; in
Central Europe they appear in April, and commence leaving again about
September. A century ago, before the English fens were drained, they were
common in the marshes of Norfolk and Lincolnshire; but are now rarely
seen. These birds only frequent the immediate vicinity of salt water,
and are almost exclusively met with on shallow muddy sea-coasts, or the
slimy banks of brackish lakes. When occupying the shores, they follow
the advance and recess of the tide in search of food, and are often seen
half a mile out upon the sands when the waves have retired. Among the
many varieties of sea-birds that frequent the sea-shore, the Scooping
Avocets are always conspicuous, as they move slowly along, with body
erect and slender neck gracefully curved, or fly rapidly through the air,
with broadly-flapping wings, and their long legs stretched directly out.
In the water they exhibit great skill, and frequently venture out to a
very considerable depth. The piping note uttered by this species has a
somewhat melancholy but not unpleasing tone, and is replaced during the
period of incubation by a plaintive call, which is constantly and rapidly
repeated. In disposition the Avocets are unsocial, and only rarely keep
company with their feathered companions; whilst towards man they exhibit
much timidity, and considerable intelligence in discerning such persons
as are likely to prove dangerous. At the commencement of the season for
incubation, the pairs seek a suitable spot whereon to breed, and usually
prefer grass-covered flats, or fields, in the immediate vicinity of the
sea. The nest is a mere hollow, slightly lined with dry blades of grass,
or fibres, and contains from two to four pear-shaped eggs, about as large
as those of the Peewit, with a thin, lustreless, greenish yellow shell,
more or less marked with blackish grey or violet spots. Both sexes brood,
and tend the young (which are hatched in about eighteen days) with great
affection, leading them at first about the fields, then near large pools,
and only venturing with them to the open sea when they begin to use their
wings.
* * * * *
The CURLEWS (_Numenii_) are very beautifully-formed birds, with a slender
body, long thin neck, small head, and a very long, slightly-curved, and
soft beak, which is broad at its base, and horny at its tip. The upper
mandible is a trifle longer than, and bends somewhat over, the lower
portion of the bill; the slender, high, broad-soled feet are bare, and
furnished with four toes, connected by a decided web; the wings are long
and pointed, with the first quill longer than the rest; the moderate-sized
tail is composed of twelve feathers. The close compact plumage does not
vary in the sexes, or at different seasons of the year. The members of
this group include about a dozen species, and are met with in almost every
portion of the globe.
THE GREAT CURLEW, OR WHAAP.