against birds of its own kin as well as against other small birds,
which appear within his domain. Uttering a short cry he will fly
up and pursue the intruder in the most violent manner and often he
would follow it so far away, that I could not see them, even
through my field glass. He would soon return, and
having--triumphantly fluting--circled around several times, go
down to his mate. I have seen the knot pursue even skuas.
Mr. Mackay (1893) writes:
On the ground they are sluggish and not given to moving about much;
unless very much harassed they are not nearly so vigilant as their
companions, the black-bellied plover, but when they have become shy
they are exceedingly wary and always on the alert for danger. When
the incoming tide drives the knots from the flats they seek the
marshes or some shoal which is sufficiently elevated to remain
uncovered during high water; they also frequent the crest of the
beaches. Here they generally remain quiet until the tide has fallen
sufficiently to permit them to return again to the flats to feed.
When on the marshes during high water they occupy some of the time
in feeding, showing they are by no means dependent on the flats for
all their food. They associate and mingle freely with the turnstone
(_Arenaria interpres_), black-bellied plover (_Charadrius
squatarola_), and red-backed sandpiper (_Tringa alpina pacifica_)
as with their own kind, and apparently evince the same friendship
toward the two former birds as prevails between the American golden
plover (_Charadrius dominicus_) and the Eskimo curlew (_Numenius
borealis_). I have heard of but one instance (at Revere, Mass.,
during a storm) of the knot being noted in the same flock with
adult American golden plover. At this time there were three, one of
which was shot. I have heard, however, of both adult and young
knots mingling with young American golden plover, or
"pale-bellies," as they are locally called.
_Voice._--The same writer says:
They make two notes. One is soft, of two articulations, and sounds
like the word "Wah-quoit" (by which name it is sometimes known on
Cape Cod); although uttered low, it can be heard quite a distance.
This note is particularly noticeable when flocks are coming to the
decoys; it has a faint rolling sound similar to the note of the
American golden plover (_Charadrius dominicus_) under the same
conditions, only more subdued and faint. The other is a single note
resembling a little honk. These birds will also respond to the note
of the black-bellied plover (_Charadrius squatarola_) as readily as
to their own when it is given with a whistle.
Roland C. Ross (1924) gives the following graphic description of the
croaking note:
The common call is a low-pitched, hoarse "skeuk," the lowest and
heaviest voice on the flats. It struck me as a dull croak, coming
pretty regularly from the feeding birds, and especially strong when
they took wing. A lone bird in joining the flock would croak his
coming. The sound can be imitated in quality and form but in a
higher pitch. Make the facial contortions necessary to "cluck" to a
horse, but don't "cluck"; make it "skeuk," and locate it in the
wisdom teeth on the side being dislocated. Pitch it low; it will
still be two tones too high. At a distance the sucking or harsh
quality is lost. A softer, more musical rendition is given when the
birds are well bunched and feeding, which came to my ear as
"chook."
John T. Nichols (1920) says: "The flight note of the knot is a
low-pitched whistle, frequently in two parts, with a peculiar lisp or
buzz in it, _tlu tlu_."
Doctor Ekblaw describes the notes heard on the breeding grounds as
follows:
Four distinct calls characterize the mating and nesting season.
Most common are two piercingly shrill calls uttered generally on
the wing, one of them resembling _wah-quoi_ and the other
_wee-a-whit_, easily distinguished, but somewhat alike. The
long-drawn-out _coo-a-hee_, or _coo-hee_, is a soft, flutelike call
also given in flight, but nearly always back among the hills, far
from the shore where the nests are hidden. This flutelike call
appears to be a signal or recognition call. The fourth call is a
sharp, querulous _whit_, _whit_, _whit_, almost like a cluck, often
given singly, but more often many times repeated. When their
nesting haunts are invaded or their feeding grounds disturbed this
call expresses their displeasure.
_Field marks._--In spring plumage the knot is easily recognized by its
reddish breast, which, however, is not as conspicuous as might be
expected. In immature and winter plumage the best character is the
absence of any conspicuous field mark. Even in flight it seems to be a
plain gray bird; the rump and tail appear but little lighter than the
rest of the upper parts and the faint white line in the wings is hardly
noticeable. Its larger size will hardly distinguish it from the smaller
sandpipers except by direct comparison. Its short, greenish yellow legs
and its prominent bill might help one to recognize it under favorable
circumstances.
_Fall._--Doctor Ekblaw says:
As soon as the water begins to grow cold, when insect and other
small life becomes scarce, and when the midnight sun approaches the
horizon, the knots abandon the northland, plump and strong from
their summer stay in the Arctic, and wend their way to the
southland. Not even a belated straggler can be found after August
1.
The adults begin to arrive on Cape Cod about the middle of July; the
height of their abundance comes about the first week in August and most
of them disappear during that month, although Mr. Mackay (1893) has
recorded them in October, December, and February. The young birds begin
to arrive there about August 20, but the main flight of "graybacks," as
the young are called on this coast, comes along in September and early
October, stragglers sometimes lingering into November. When with us,
knots frequent the beaches; although they are found on both sandy and
stony beaches, I have sometimes thought that they preferred the pebbly
beaches, feeding close to the water line, where they are often
surprisingly invisible among the variously colored stones. They are not
shy, as a rule, and generally allow a close approach before they fly off
swiftly, uttering their characteristic notes. At high tide, when their
feeding grounds are covered, they resort to the high beaches to rest,
preen their plumage, and sleep.
By July 20 the first birds have reached South Carolina, where some
remain until October 15. We saw what was probably the last of the
migration on the west coast of Florida in 1924. The knots were there
when we arrived on November 11. During a northerly gale and after a
heavy rain on the 21st I saw several small flocks on the high and dry
sand of an exposed beach, huddled together in compact bunches and
reluctant to move. The last birds were seen on the 26th.
In the interior the knot seems to be even rarer in the fall than in the
spring, but on the Pacific coast the reverse seems to be the case. It is
regarded as rather rare in Alaska, but F. S. Hersey collected a small
series for me at St. Michael on August 4 and 8, 1915, and H. B. Conover
took two at Golovin Bay on August 14, 1924. D. E. Brown's notes record
them at Grays Harbor, Washington, from August 21 to November 2, 1917.
_Game._--Although no longer on the game-bird list, the knot is a good
game bird. It flies in compact flocks, comes well to the decoys when
attracted by the whistle of an experienced caller, flies rather swiftly,
and makes a good table bird, for it is of good size and usually fat. It
was always included in the list of what we used to call "big birds." On
Cape Cod knots in all plumages are called "redbreasts" by the gunners,
though the name "grayback" is often applied to the young birds. Mr.
Mackay (1893) says:
When shy and coming to decoys to alight, they barely touch their
feet to the sand before they discover their mistake and are off in
an instant. They fly quickly and closely together and, when coming
to decoys, usually pass by them down wind, most of the flock
whistling, then suddenly wheeling with heads to the wind, and up to
the decoys. At such times many are killed at one discharge.
Dr. L. C. Sanford (1903) writes:
One of my pleasant recollections of shore-bird shooting is
associated with this bird. I give the date with some hesitation,
for it was May 10, near Cobb Island. During several days previous
redbreast had been flying, but the tides were not suitable, and it
was useless to try for them. Here the flight is along the outer
beach, at the edge of the surf, the birds stopping to feed on the
mud flats exposed by the falling tide. The sun was not up and the
water still high as we set the decoys off one of the points along
the beach, close to the breaking waves; the blind was of seaweed,
and before we were settled the first flock passed by high up, but a
pair of birds dropped out of it and hovered in front of us; another
minute and 10 more swung in. Flock after flock, from a few birds to
hundreds, passed in the same line, coming into sight over the
ocean, striking the beach and following its edge--now low just over
the surf, now high up--the first light of sunrise giving them a
black appearance. The undulating character of the flight was
unmistakable and was in evidence when the dark line first
appeared--now distinct on the horizon, presently out of sight in
the waves, all of a sudden rising up over the decoys to circle in.
Our chance lasted only a few minutes, for when the flat was exposed
the birds all passed by out of range; occasionally we whistled in
an odd one, but the flocks shied off. As we carried back our basket
of birds it did not occur to us that the experience of that morning
would be our last flight of redbreast, but it was.
DISTRIBUTION
_Breeding range._--The breeding range of the knot in North America is
imperfectly known, but appears to extend north to Franklin (Winter
Harbor, Victoria Land, and Goose Fiord), and Grinnell Land (Fort
Conger). East to Greenland (Floeberg Beach, Cape Sheridan, North Star
Bay, Tuctoo Valley, Bowdoin Bay, and Disco Bay). South to southwestern
Greenland (Disco Bay) and southern Franklin (Igloolik, Winter Island,
and Cambridge Bay). West to Franklin (Cambridge Bay and Winter Harbor).
Birds breeding in northeast Greenland may be the European form.
It has also been detected in summer in Alaska at Point Barrow, Point
Hope, St. Michael, and other localities, where it may possibly breed.
_Winter range._--Not well known but in the Western Hemisphere, seemingly
most of South America, from Patagonia (Tierra del Fuego) and Argentina
(Barracus al Sud and Cape San Antonio) on the south, Peru (Santa Luzia
and probably Tumbez) on the west, Brazil (Iguape) on the east, to
possibly Jamaica, Barbados, rarely Louisiana (Vermilion Bay), and
Florida (St. Marks).
_Spring migration._--Early dates of spring arrival on the Atlantic coast
are: South Carolina, Frogmore, April 8, and Egg Bank, April 16; North
Carolina, Pea and Brodie Islands, April 18; Virginia, Locustville, April
10; New Jersey, Absecon Bay, April 21; New York, Long Beach, Long
Island, April 29, and Canandaigua Lake, May 23; Connecticut, Norwalk,
May 24, Fairfield, May 29, and Westport, May 30; Massachusetts,
Tuckernuck Island, May 11, Franklin, Igloolik, June 14; and Greenland,
Jacobshaven, June 3, and Cape Union, June 5.
On the Pacific coast, early dates are: California, Alameda, April 25;
Washington, Destruction Island Light, May 6, and Willapa Harbor, May 11
[once at Dungeness, on February 25, 1915 (Cantwell)]; British Colombia,
Fort Simpson, May 13; and Alaska, Nulato, May 10, Craig, May 13,
Admiralty Island, May 14, St. Michael, May 29, and Point Barrow, May 30.
Late dates of spring departure are: South Carolina, near Charleston,
June 5; Virginia, Cape Charles, June 10, Cobb Island, June 25, and
Wallop's Island, June 27; New Jersey, Cape May County, June 3, and
Elizabeth, June 11; New York, Amityville, May 31, and Geneva, June 8;
and Massachusetts, Cape Cod, June 13, Harvard, June 19, Marthas
Vineyard, June 24, and Monomoy Island, June 28.
_Fall migration._--Early dates of arrival in fall migration are:
Washington, Lake Oxette, July 12; California, Alameda, August 1,
Monterey, August 7, and Santa Barbara, August 21; Massachusetts, Cape
Cod, July 15, Marthas Vineyard, July 24, Dennis, July 27, and Monomoy
Island, July 30; Rhode Island, Newport, August 1; Connecticut, Saybrook,
August 21; New York, East Hampton, July 27, Dutchess County, July 30,
Rockaway, August 12, Montauk Point Light, August 14, And Amityville,
August 23; New Jersey, Tuckerton, July 3; Virginia, Wallops Island,
August 12; North Carolina, Pea and Brodie Islands, July 8; South
Carolina, near Charleston, July 20; Florida, Marco, July 1, and Lesser
Antilles, Barbados, September 6.
Late dates of fall departure are: Alaska, St. Michael, August 14, Point
Barrow, August 17, and Homer, August 23; Washington, Grays Harbor,
November 2; California, Anaheim Landing, October 3, and San Diego,
October 9; Greenland, Discovery Bay, August 25; Franklin, Winter Island,
August 17; Prince Edward Island, Alexandra, September 24; Quebec,
Godbout, August 7, Henley Harbor, August 23, and Old Fort Island,
September 30; Massachusetts, Marthas Vineyard, October 8, and Monomoy
Island, October 28; Rhode Island, South Auburn, September 3, and
Newport, September 14; Connecticut, Saybrook, September 25; New York,
Shinnecock Bay, September 16, Freeport, September 26, Penn Yan, October
15, and Amityville, October 16; Virginia, Wallops Island, September 29;
North Carolina, Church's Island, September 30; South Carolina, near
Charleston, October 15; Georgia, Savannah, September 24; and Lesser
Antilles, Barbados, December 27.
_Casual records._--The knot has on numerous occasions been detected in
the Central or Western States or other points outside of its normal
range. Among these are Vera Cruz, Rivera, April 13, 1904; Texas, Corpus
Christi, July 1 to 10, 1887; Kansas, Hamilton, September 19, 1911, and
Lawrence, April 17, 1871; Nebraska, Omaha, September 30, 1893, and
Lincoln, May 16, 1896, and August 27, 1896; Indiana, near Millers,
August 24, 1896; Minnesota, Lanesboro, September 7, 1885; and Montana,
Lake Bowdoin, October 4, 1915; Ohio, Sandusky River, spring of 1894, and
Licking Reservoir, May 27, 1878; Ontario (occasionally common in
spring), Point Pelee, September 15, 1906, and May 30, 1907, and Ottawa,
June 4, 1890; Michigan, Port Austin, September 4, 1899, Benton Harbor,
June 23, 1904, Forestville, June 20, 1903, Charity Island, September 1,
1910, and Oak Point, August 20-21, 1908; and Alberta, Beaverhill Lake,
May 19-23, 1924.
_Egg dates._--Greenland: 3 records, June 22 and 30, and July 9. Victoria
Land: 3 records, July 1, 9, and 22. Grinnell Land: 2 records, June 26
and 27.
CALIDRIS TENUIROSTRIS (Horsfield)
EASTERN ASIATIC KNOT
The only North American record for this little known Asiatic species was
established by Alfred M. Bailey (1925), when he captured a single
specimen in northwestern Alaska on May 28, 1922. He says:
One specimen of this species, an adult male in light plumage, was
taken at Cape Prince of Wales on May 28. At this date the tundra
was still covered with snow, but the higher benches of the cape
were becoming bare. The first arrivals of many species were just
making their appearance, using these high exposed spots as resting
places. Among these numerous migrants I took this one straggler. It
was so tame I collected it with my .32 aux.
It is larger than our knot and is also known as the Japanese knot.
Seebohm (1888) says:
It is the only _Tringa_ with white on the upper tail coverts which
has a straight bill more than an inch and a half long. In summer
plumage it has no chestnut on the under parts, and the chestnut on
the upper parts is principally confined to the scapulars. In winter
plumage the two knots scarcely differ except in size. It is very
closely allied to the common knot.
The breeding grounds of the Japanese knot are unknown, but
Middendorff observed it during the whole summer on the southern
shores of the Sea of Okhotsk, though he obtained no evidence of
its nesting there. It has occurred on migration in the valley of
the Ussuri, on the coasts of Japan and China, and on most of the
islands of the Malay Archipelago. It winters on the coast of
Australia, has occurred on the Andaman Islands, and in
considerable numbers on the coast of Scinde.
ARQUATELLA MARITIMA (Brünnich)
PURPLE SANDPIPER
HABITS
This hardy northern bird has well been called "winter snipe" and "rock
snipe," for it is known to us only as a winter visitor on rocky shores.
Although it does not breed quite as far north as some species, it
migrates for a shorter distance and winters farther north than any other
wader; in fact, the southern limit of its winter range is far north of
the normal winter range of any other. A. L. V. Manniche (1910) saw only
three purple sandpipers during three seasons in northeastern Greenland,
and the Crockerland expedition saw only one in northwestern Greenland in
four years. Both expeditions were probably north of its normal breeding
range.
_Spring._--As soon as spring asserts itself the purple sandpipers begin
to desert their main winter range on the coast of New England, some
leaving in March and only a very few stragglers lingering into May. On
May 29, 1909, we saw a few late migrants on the south coast of Labrador,
where I secured one in full nuptial plumage. Ludwig Kumlien (1879) says
that the purple sandpiper is the first wader to arrive in the spring at
Cumberland Sound.
The 4th of June Is the earliest date I met them at Annanactook;
this was during a heavy snowstorm, and the earliest date possible
that they could have found any of the rocks bare at low tide. The
flock lit on the top of one of the small islands in the harbor and
sheltered themselves from the storm by creeping behind and
underneath ledges of rocks; they then huddled together like a flock
of quails in winter. I have often noticed the same habit with them
in late autumn, while they were waiting for low tide.
_Courtship._--The same writer refers to a courtship performance, as
follows:
As the breeding season approaches the males have a peculiar cry,
resembling somewhat that of _Actiturus bartramius_, but lower and
not so prolonged. When this note is uttered they assume a very
dignified strut, and often raise the wings up over the back and
slowly fold them again, like the upland plover.
Aubyn Trevor-Battye (1897) says:
Like all sandpipers, they do much of their courtship on the wing,
chasing one another in circles with rapid turns and shifts. On the
ground I have seen the male bird approach the female with trailing
wings, arched back, and head low down, occasionally hopping, like a
courting pigeon.
This species seems to be rather rare in Baffin Land. I have two sets of
eggs, given to me by Capt. Donald B. MacMillan, collected with the
parent bird at Cape Dorset. J. Dewey Soper collected a female there,
with enlarged ovaries, on June 8; but he saw only three birds during
"the spring and summer of 1926 along the south coast of Baffin Island."
He says in his notes:
The first sandpiper observed by me the following spring was of this
species, a solitary male collected on June 2, 1925, at Nettilling
Lake. The lakes were still ice-bound and the land mostly covered
with snow, but here and there were small open pools. Along the
border of one of these the bird was feeding in the thin layer of
thawed mud among the grassy hummocks. On June 11, in the same
locality near the Takuirbing River, several were observed and
collected. When flushed they emit a grating _ick-ick-ick_ and when
not too hard pressed will often light again a few yards away. They
flush sluggishly, and when not come upon too abruptly will
frequently elevate the wings leisurely above the back, as though
stretching them before taking flight. On the whole, at this time,
they were comparatively fearless and permitted close approach. Only
one was observed giving a vocal performance on the wing. It rose
slowly from the ground to a height of 15 or 20 feet and leisurely
flying over the tundra gave a series of low, musical staccato notes
resembling _to-wit-to-wit-to-wit-to-wit_, etc. The performance
continues unbrokenly while the bird remains in the air over a
distance of 25 or 30 yards.
_Nesting._--Rev. Henry H. Slater (1898) says:
In the extreme north the nest is often quite close to the sea,
little above high-water mark. But in Iceland and at the southern
borders of its breeding range generally the purple sandpiper
usually nests on the fells. My first nest, from which I shot the
female mentioned above, was near the top of a high ridge in north
Iceland, nearly 1,600 feet above sea level, on a small bare patch
of recently uncovered ground amongst snow fields; it was a slight
hollow in a withered tuft of _Dryas octopetala_, and rather a
substantial nest for a wader, consisting of a good handful of
leaves of _Dryas_ and _Salix lanata_, a little short grass, two
white ptarmigan's feathers and a few of the parents'.
W. C. Hewitson (1856) quotes Mr. Wolley as saying that in the Faeroes,
"it breeds sparingly on the very tops of high mountains, where I found
its young at the end of June still unable to fly."
Messrs. E. Evans and W. Sturge (1859) found the purple sandpiper
breeding in Spitsbergen; they say:
The purple sandpiper (_Tringa maritina_, Brünn.) was very abundant
in Coal Bay (on the south side of Ice Sound, so named on account of
a small quantity of poor coal being found there), and we found four
of their nests on the high field. Beautiful little nests they were,
deep in the ground, and lined with stalks of grass and leaves of
the dwarf birch (_Betula nana_, L.), containing mostly four eggs of
an olive green, handsomely mottled with purplish brown, chiefly at
the larger end. We watched this elegant little bird--the only one
of the _Grallatores_ we saw--with much interest as it waded into
some pool of snow water or ran along the shingle, every now and
then raising its wings over its back and exhibiting the delicate
tint of the under side, at the same time uttering its loud shrill
whistle.
No recent accounts of the nesting habits of this species seem to have
been published and the data on eggs in collections seem to be rather
scanty. I have never found a nest myself. Both sexes are said to
incubate the eggs and share in the care of the young. The period of
incubation is over 20 days.
_Eggs._--A very good description of the eggs is given by Seebohm (1884)
as follows:
The eggs of the purple sandpiper are four in number and remarkably
handsome. They vary in ground color from pale olive to pale buffish
brown, boldly mottled, blotched, and streaked with reddish brown
and very dark blackish brown. On some eggs the blotches are large,
and chiefly distributed in an oblique direction round the large
end; on others they are more evenly distributed over the entire
surface; and on many a few very dark scratches, spots, or streaks
are scattered here and there amongst the brown markings. The
underlying markings are numerous and conspicuous, and are pale
violet gray or grayish brown in color.