northeastern coast of Siberia (Plover Bay); Alaska (Point Hope, Point
Barrow, Barter Island, Camden Bay, and Demarcation Point); Yukon
(probably Herschel Island); Mackenzie (Franklin Bay), Victoria Land;
northern Keewatin (Cape Fullerton); Labrador (Okak); and Newfoundland.
East to Labrador (Okak). South to Labrador (Okak); Newfoundland;
northern Quebec (Fort George); southern Keewatin (Severn River);
probably eastern Manitoba (York Factory and Fort Churchill); Mackenzie
(Fort Anderson); and Alaska (Pastolik). West to Alaska (Pastolik, Hooper
Bay, St. Michael, probably Nome, Port Clarence, Kowak River, probably
Cape Blossom, and Point Hope); and northeastern Siberia (Plover Bay).
_Winter range._--North to Sonora (Hermosillo); Texas (Fort Brown, Corpus
Christi, and Refugio County); Louisiana (State Game Preserve, Marsh
Island, False River, and Hog Bayou); and South Carolina (Bulls Point).
East to South Carolina (Bulls Point, Sea Islands, Frogmore, and Port
Royal); Georgia (Chatham County, Blackbeard Island, Darien, and St.
Marys); Florida (Mosquito Inlet and St. Lucie); Bahama Islands (Great
Inagua); Haiti (Monte Christi and Sanchez); Porto Rico; Lesser Antilles
(Antigua, Barbados, Carriacou, Grenada, and Trinidad); French Guiana
(Cayenne); and Brazil (Island Mexiana, Island Cajetuba, and Bahia).
South to Brazil (Bahia); rarely Patagonia (Nuevo Gulf); and Peru
(Parecas Bay). West to Peru (Parecas Bay); Colombia (Cartagena and
Sabanillo); Guatemala (San Jose); Valley of Mexico; Sinaloa (Mazatlan);
and Sonora (Hermosillo).
_Spring migration._--Early dates of arrival in the spring are: North
Carolina, Highlands, April 12, and Raleigh, April 13; Virginia, Cobb
Island, May 14, and Smiths Island, May 16; District of Columbia,
Washington, May 10; Pennsylvania, Grove City, May 3, and Milford, May 9;
New Jersey, Elizabeth, May 6; New York, Orient, April 16, Canandaigua,
April 26, Geneva, May 5, and Rochester, May 7; Connecticut, Saybrook,
May 9, and Norwalk, May 11; Massachusetts, Monomoy Island, April 22,
Ipswich, April 24; Maine, Lewiston, May 6; Quebec, May 2; Missouri,
Appleton City, April 3, and Boonville, April 16; Illinois, Springfield,
April 25, Quincy, May 3; Indiana, Camden, April 18, Bicknell, April 24,
and Bloomington, April 26; Ohio, Lakeside, May 3, New Bremen, May 5, and
Oberlin, May 7; Michigan, Ann Arbor, April 1; Ontario, Toronto, May 14,
and Ottawa, May 14; Iowa, Keokuk, April 19, Emmetsburg, April 27, and
Sioux City, May 2; Wisconsin, Elkhorn, May 1, and Madison, May 7;
Minnesota, Wilder, April 19, Jackson, April 24, and Hallock, May 9;
Kansas, McPherson, April 15, Lawrence, May 5, and Emporia, May 9;
Nebraska, Neligh, April 30, Omaha, May 4, and Lincoln, May 5; South
Dakota, Sioux Falls, May 5, and Harrison, May 8; Manitoba, Gimli, May
10, and Shoal Lake, May 19; Saskatchewan, Dinsmore, May 13, and Indian
Head, May 19; and Mackenzie, Fort Chipewyan, May 24, and Fort Simpson,
May 26.
Late dates of spring departure are: Cuba, Guantanamo, May 8, and Mariel,
May 10; the Bahama Islands, Hog Island, April 27, Salt Key, May 5, and
Inagua, May 27; Florida, Whitfield, May 11, Fort De Soto, May 25, and
St. Marks, May 26; Georgia, Savannah, May 22; South Carolina, Ladys
Island, May 26; North Carolina, Fort Macon, May 17, Cape Hatteras, May
20, and Raleigh, May 22; Virginia, Smiths Island, May 22, and Cape
Charles, May 27; District of Columbia, Washington, May 22; Pennsylvania,
Warren, May 24, and Erie, June 4; New Jersey, Camden, May 25, Long
Beach, June 1, and Elizabeth, June 18; New York, Rochester, June 2,
Syracuse, June 4, Poughkeepsie, June 5, Geneva, June 8, and New York
City, June 15; Connecticut, Norwalk, May 30, and Fairfield, June 9;
Rhode Island, Sakonnet Point, June 4; Massachusetts, Dennis, May 30,
Lynn, June 2, and Harvard, June 9; Maine, Portland, June 3; Louisiana,
Lobdell, May 28; Missouri, Boonville, May 31; Illinois, Oak Park, May
26, Shawneetown, May 27, and Chicago, June 13; Ohio, Oberlin, June 1,
Port Clinton, June 3, and Lakeside, June 10; Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie,
May 31, and Detroit, June 2; Ontario, Toronto, June 2, Hamilton, June 5,
and Todmorden, June 13; Iowa, Clear Lake, May 20, Mason City, May 27,
and Sioux City, May 30; Wisconsin, Madison, May 31; Minnesota, Leech
Lake, May 27, Minneapolis, June 1, and Lanesboro, June 3; Texas, Texas
City, May 17, Point Isabel, May 19, and Gainesville, May 24; Kansas,
Fort Riley, May 22, Republican Fork, May 25, Emporia, May 27, and
Stafford County, June 6; Nebraska, Long Pine, May 25, Valentine, May 30,
and Lincoln, June 8; South Dakota, Faulkton, May 27, Forestburg, June 2,
and Harrison, June 3; Manitoba, May 31, Dominion City, June 1, and Shoal
Lake, June 14; and Saskatchewan, Quill Lake, June 11, and Kutanajan
Lake, June 13.
_Fall migration._--Early dates of fall arrival are: British Columbia,
Okanagan Landing, July 15, Atlin, July 16, and Courtenay, July 24;
Colorado, Larimer County, July 18; Saskatchewan, Quill Lake, July 4, and
Kiddleston, July 16; Manitoba, Russell, July 11, Red Deer River, July
23, and Shoal Lake, August 3; North Dakota, Mouse River, August 10;
South Dakota, Forestburg, August 2; Kansas, Emporia, August 31; Texas,
Brownsville, October 1, and Lake Worth, October 19; Minnesota, St.
Vincent, July 24; Iowa, Sioux City, July 12, and Winnebago County, July
29; Ontario, Todmorden, July 21, and Amherstburg-Colchester, July 29;
Michigan, Charity Island, July 9, and Detroit, July 22; Ohio, Columbus,
July 12, Bay Point, July 16, and Painesville, July 19; Illinois,
Chicago, July 2; Missouri, St. Louis, August 6; Mississippi, Biloxi,
July 10, Beauvoir, July 18, and Bay St. Louis, July 21; Nova Scotia,
Wolfville, July 10; Maine, Portland, July 23, and Pittsfield, July 24;
Massachusetts, Monomoy Island, July 3, Marthas Vineyard, July 8, and
Ipswich, July 10; Rhode Island, Newport, July 14, and Providence, July
22; Connecticut, Milford, July 28, and New Haven, July 30; New York,
Orient, July 4, East Hampton, July 8, Freeport, July 12, and Rochester,
July 12; New Jersey, Long Beach, July 7, and Cape May, July 14;
Pennsylvania, Carlisle, July 27; District of Columbia, Washington,
August 10; Virginia, Cobb Island, July 15; South Carolina, Frogmore,
July 22; Florida, Palma Sola, July 8, Fernandina, July 14, Pensacola,
July 16, and Fort De Soto, July 17; Cuba, Guantanamo, August 15, and
Batabano, August 26; Porto Rico, Mona Island, August 11, and Cabo Rojo,
August 24; and the Lesser Antilles, St. Croix, August 14, and Barbados,
August 18.
Late dates of departure in the fall are: British Columbia, Lake Teslin,
September 12, and Okanagan Landing, September 16; Saskatchewan, Ravine
Bank, August 25; Manitoba, Winnipeg, September 13; Nebraska, Lincoln,
October 30; Kansas, Topeka, September 15; Minnesota, Lanesboro,
September 15; Wisconsin, Racine, October 1; Iowa, Marshalltown, October
12, and Burlington, October 15; Ontario, Ottawa, October 5, London,
October 16, and Point Pelee, November 15; Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie,
October 1, and Detroit, October 15; Ohio, Salem, October 9, Youngstown,
October 26, and Dayton, November 16; Illinois, Chicago, October 9, and
Cantine, October 17; Missouri, St. Louis, October 17; Prince Edward
Island, North River, October 27; Nova Scotia, Wolfville, September 24;
Quebec, Montreal, October 18; Maine, Lewiston, October 17;
Massachusetts, Dennis, October 21, Boston, October 23, Harvard, October
24, and Lynn, October 25; Connecticut, Middleton, October 7, and New
Haven, October 23; New York, Canandaigua, October 14, Sing Sing, October
20, New York City, October 24, Shinnecock Bay, October 30, and Ithaca,
November 1; New Jersey, Morristown, September 24, Cape May, October 2,
and Elizabeth, October 16; Pennsylvania, Beaver, October 3; and District
of Columbia, Washington, October 26.
_Casual records._--The semipalmated sandpiper is not common in Colorado
and Utah, although in both of these States it has been taken on several
occasions. Other casual records are Wyoming, Horse Creek, 1859, and
Alkali Lake, October 31, 1897; Montana, Fort Keogh, May 15 and 16, 1889,
Sweetgrass Hills, August 11, 1874, Billings, August 12, 1900, and Miles
City, August 14 and 15, 1900; Washington, Blaine, August 4 to 8, 1900,
Puget Sound, July 15, 1857, Shoalwater Bay, May 3, 1854, and Simiahmoo,
May, 1858; and Pribilof Islands, St. Paul Island, June 12, 1890.
There also are at least three records for the British Isles: Romney
Marsh, Kent, September, 1907, Marazion Marsh, Cornwall, October 10,
1853, and Northam Burrows, Devon, September, 1869.
_Egg dates._--Arctic Canada: 70 records, June 12 to July 24; 35 records,
July 3 to 6. Alaska: 33 records, June 2 to July 5; 17 records, June 6 to
18.
EREUNETES MAURI Cabanis
WESTERN SANDPIPER
HABITS
_Spring._--The western sandpiper has an unique distribution and peculiar
migrations. It occupies a very restricted breeding range in the coastal
regions of northwestern Alaska, but is spread out over a wide winter
range, entirely across the continent in southern North America, in
Central America, and in northern South America. But we know very little
about its migration routes between these two seasonal ranges. I have
not a single spring record for it from any of my correspondents in the
interior. Undoubtedly it has been generally overlooked on account of its
close resemblance to the semipalmated sandpiper, an abundant species
which few collectors bother to shoot. Its northward migration along the
Pacific coast, in April and May, is well known; this flight is mainly
coastwise and the birds are often extremely abundant. D. E. Brown, in
some notes sent to me from Westport, Washington, refers to this species
as easily outnumbering all other shorebirds combined; they were
associated with redbacks, but outnumbered them 10 to 1. Dr. E. W. Nelson
(1887) says of the arrival of these birds in Alaska:
As the snow disappears on the low ground about Norton Sound; from
the 10th to the 15th of May each year, and the ponds, still
ice-covered, are bordered by a ring of water, these gentle birds
arrive on the shore of Bering Sea, in the vicinity of Saint Michael
and the Yukon mouth. The advancing season finds their numbers
continually augmented until, toward the end of May, they are
extremely common and are found scattered everywhere over the mossy
flats and low hillsides. Their gentle character and trusting ways
render them very attractive to the frequenter of their territory at
this season.
_Courtship._--The same gifted writer describes the courtship of this
gentle little sandpiper as follows:
The warm days toward the end of May cause the brown slopes and
flats to assume a shade of green, and among the pretty bird
romances going on under our eyes none is more charming than the
courtship of this delicate sandpiper. They have forsaken the
borders of icy pools, and, in twos and threes, are found scattered
over the tundra, showing a preference for small dry knolls and the
drier tussock-covered parts of the country in the vicinity of damp
spots and small ponds. Here the gentle birds may be seen at all
times tripping daintily over the moss or in and out among the tufts
of grass, conversing with each other in low, pleasant, twittering
notes, and never showing any sign of the wrangling so frequent with
their kind at this season. The female modestly avoids the male as
he pays his homage, running back and forth before her as though
anxious to exhibit his tiny form to the best advantage. At times
his heart beats high with pride and he trails his wings, elevates
and partly spreads his tail, and struts in front of his lady fair
in all the pompous vanity of a pigmy turkey-cock; or his blood
courses in a fiery stream until, filled with ecstatic joy, the
sanguine lover springs from the earth, and, rising upon vibrating
wings, some 10 or 15 yards, he poises, hovering in the same
position, sometimes nearly a minute, while he pours forth a rapid,
uniform series of rather musical trills, which vary in strength as
they gradually rise and fall, producing pleasant cadences. The
wings of the songster meanwhile vibrate with such rapid motion that
they appear to keep time with the rapidly trilling notes, which can
only be likened to the running down of a small spring and may be
represented by the syllables _tzr-r-e-e-e, zr-e-e-e-, zr-e-e-e_, in
a fine high-pitched tone, with an impetus at each "=Z=." This part
of the song ended, the bird raises its wings above its back, thus
forming a =V=, and glides slowly to the ground, uttering at the
same time, in a trill, but with a deeper and richer tone, a series
of notes which may be likened to the syllables _tzur-r-r-r,
tzur-r-r-r_. The word "throaty" may be applied to these latter
notes as distinguished from the high-pitched key of the first part
of the song.
_Nesting._--Herbert W. Brandt, who has had extensive experience with the
nesting habits of this species, says in his manuscript notes:
The gentle little western sandpiper is the most abundant and most
widely distributed shore bird occurring in the Hooper Bay region.
Throughout the area, wherever dry ground is found, it is plentiful,
and it even occurs on the lower mountain slopes of the Askinuk
Range. Before the tundra had discarded its snowy mantle the first
birds of this species had responded to the lure of early spring,
for they arrived on May 14, and two days later they were common,
while on May 20 they were abundant, carrying on everywhere their
dainty aerial butterfly courtship. The western sandpiper is usually
found in large scattering colonies especially on the upland tundra
where for large areas they average one or two pairs to the acre.
Isolated couples, however, are occasionally encountered.
The nest of the western sandpiper is well concealed from view by
the surrounding curly bunch-grass that everywhere in the dryer
areas forces its way up amid the moss. Under this protection a
depression is made and scantily lined with grass, and usually in
addition with considerable tiny leaves of the prostrate
berry-bearing vines, of the dwarf birch, and of the reindeer moss
stems. In consequence, the nest is very fragile and loosely made,
but before it is disturbed it is neatly cup-shaped. The range of
measurements of 32 nests is: Inside diameter, 2 to 3 inches; depth
of cavity, 1-1/2 to 3 inches; and total depth, 2-1/2 to 4 inches.
Both male and female share in the tender duties of incubation and
are often very loath to forsake their nest, so that when crossing
their chosen haunts an incubating bird, by fluttering up before
one's very feet, will occasionally unwittingly betray its
well-concealed abode.
These charming little creatures are most brave, even eager in
defense of their homes, often charging with puffed-out feathers
and head drawn against the body to make themselves look as
formidable as possible. Their tameness and familiarity are
remarkable. Often after we had removed the eggs the parent would
go to the empty nest, sit on it for a little while, then come out,
her little body a-purr with agitation, and inquire in her thin
incessant voice what had become of the eggs. It is little wonder
that I shot very few specimens for identification purposes. This
tiny sandpiper had won too deep a place in my affections.
The confiding nature of these birds is referred to by other writers.
Doctor Nelson (1887) tells how one of his men lay on the ground with his
outstretched hand close beside a nest; but the bird soon returned,
crossed his arm and settled on the nest, where she was caught with turn
of his hand and released. Alfred M. Bailey (1926) placed his "hat over
one set of eggs, leaving just room for the parent bird to crawl under,
which she immediately proceeded to do."
_Eggs._--Herbert W. Brandt has given me the following good description
of his 120 eggs of this species, collected by him at Hooper Bay,
Alaska:
Four eggs always constitute a complete set with the western
sandpiper, but occasionally late nests with three eggs in each were
observed, which were probably second layings. They are pyriform to
subpyriform in shape and are placed in the nest with the small ends
together and pointed downward, snuggling amid the loose interior
contents of the nest. The shell is smooth, has a slight luster, and
is strongly constructed. The markings on the same set of eggs
always follow the same type in color, and likewise the ground color
is always the same shade. In the series of eggs the prevalent
ground color is "cream color," but the shades vary from dull white,
which is very rare, to equally rare "wood brown." The ground color
is often almost obliterated by the profuseness of the markings,
especially on the larger two-thirds of the egg. The color of the
surface markings is usually "Kaiser brown," but they show
considerable variation, dependent upon the amount of pigment
deposited, ranging from "brick red" to "chestnut brown." The spots
are somewhat elongated and vary from small pin points to large
blotches that may completely cover the larger end of the egg. These
have a decided tendency to spiral from left to right. The
underlying markings are inconspicuous and are only visible on eggs
having a pale background and then they are of small size and
indistinct. The eggs are generally flecked with additional markings
consisting of a few intense irregular spots or fine lines of slate
black to black. These blackbird-like markings are almost always on
the larger end, although on many eggs they are entirely wanting. In
series the eggs of the western sandpiper have a decidedly bright
red appearance, and are thus distinct from any eggs occurring in
the Hooper Bay region.
The western sandpiper has been known to lay five eggs.
The measurements of 120 eggs, furnished by Mr. Brandt, average 30.8 by
21.9 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure =32.5= by
22.3, 32 by =22.8=, =28.7= by 21.6, and 30.3 by =21.1= millimeters.
_Young._--H. B. Conover tells me that both sexes incubate, at least both
had incubation patches. He says in his notes:
On June 15 the first newly hatched young were found. The parents
were very solicitous and flew about twittering anxiously. Soon
other old birds joined them and seemed just as anxious as if the
young were their own. This habit of these sandpipers in joining
forces to help their neighbors was very noticeable both before and
after the eggs had hatched. By June 30 half-grown young that could
already fly for a few yards were being seen. Western sandpipers
with their chicks were everywhere, and during a walk around the
tundra you had a constant attendance of anxious mothers and fathers
wheeling about. Eggs were still being found on July 5. By July 18
the mud flats were covered with fully fledged young of this
species.
The incubation period for this species seems to be about 21 days.
A nest found on May 26 with four eggs hatched on June 15 late in
the evening. Another found on May 29 with three eggs in it, had
four eggs on May 30, and three young and a pipped egg on the
evening of June 19. The rapidity with which these birds lay and
hatch their eggs and raise their young is very remarkable. In 60
days from their arrival on the nesting grounds the young are full
grown and taking care of themselves.
Mr. Brandt in his manuscript says:
It seemed to us as if every western sandpiper about Hooper Bay must
have deposited its first egg on practically the same day, because
the four days following May 26 more than 50 nests were recorded,
and after June 15 the beautiful brown and black mottled young all
of the same size were to be found everywhere. These newly born bird
mites are not long abed, however, for in one case an hour after
hatching their cradle was empty.
_Plumages._--The downy young western sandpiper, when first hatched, is
richly colored in warm, bright browns and buffs, quite different in
appearance from the young semipalmated sandpiper. Behind a broad
"cinnamon buff" forehead is a large, rounded crown patch extending from
above the eyes to the nape, in which the down is basally black, but
deeply tipped "burnt sienna"; in the center of this a cluster of buffy
down tips produces a spot, which is divided by a blackish median stripe
extending down to the bill; a band of pale buff, produced by down tips,
encircles the sides and rear of the crown patch; there is a loral stripe
and a short malar stripe of black; the sides of the head and neck are
"cinnamon buff"; and a variable pattern of "burnt sienna" decorates the
auricular region, behind and above the eye. The remainder of the upper
parts, back, wings, rump, and thighs are a mixture of black and dark,
rich browns, "bay," "burnt sienna," and "amber brown," sprinkled, in an
irregular pattern, in the darker portions with tiny buff tips. The under
parts vary from pale buff on the breast to buffy white on the throat and
to white on the belly. The bright colors fade to dull browns and grayish
as the chick grows older. The first of the juvenal plumage appears on
the scapulars and then on the sides of the breast.
In fresh juvenal plumage, as seen in Alaska in June, the crown is
"sepia" with "pinkish cinnamon" edgings; the nape is "drab-gray,"
streaked with dusky; the feathers of the mantle are brownish black,
edged with "tawny" on the back and broadly edged with "tawny" and white
on the scapulars; the rump, upper tail coverts, and central tail
feathers are "sepia"; the other rectrices are "light mouse gray"; the
wing coverts are "mouse gray," tipped with "tawny" or lighter buff; the
throat and under parts are white, washed on the breast with "light
cinnamon-drab," and streaked on the sides of the breast with dusky. This
plumage fades somewhat during migration and the body plumage is mostly
all molted before October. In their first winter plumage young birds can
be distinguished from adults only by the wing coverts and a few retained
scapulars and tertials. At the first prenuptial molt they become
practically adult.
Adults have a complete postnuptial molt in the summer and fall, molting
the body plumage in July and August and the wings and tail in November
or later. The prenuptial molt in March and April involves only the body
plumage. The fresh plumage, in April, is veiled with "drab-gray" tips,
which soon wear away, revealing the bright nuptial colors.
_Food._--Very little has been published on the food of the western
sandpiper, but it probably feeds on the same things as the other small
sandpipers with which it associates. Arthur H. Howell (1924) says:
Six stomachs of this bird collected in Alabama showed its food to
be minute fly larvae, aquatic beetles and bugs, marine worms, and
small snails.
Stuart T. Danforth (1925) found 150 bloodworms and a Hydrophilid larva
in the stomach of one taken in Porto Rico.
_Behavior._--S. F. Rathbun has sent me the following notes on the habits
of the western sandpiper on the coast of Washington: