[We may note here that the Sandpipers we have hitherto been dealing with have had the tail plain, whereas in the remaining ones, which belong to the genus Totanus, the tail is barred.]
THE COMMON SANDPIPER
Totanus hypoleucus (Linnæus)
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.