A LIST OF THE BIRDS OF BERWICK-ON-TWEED 81 



KNOT, Tringa canutus, Linnaeus. Very abundant as a winter 

 visitant on the coast in the neighbourhood of Holy Island. The 

 flocks come in September, a few old birds occasionally arriving nearly 

 a couple of months sooner, and then retaining more or less of the 

 red plumage of summer. 



At Berwick I have only seen it as a straggler about the mouth 

 of the river, but, as might be expected, a few turn up there every 

 autumn ; and it is frequently heard passing over, on migration, at 

 night. 



DUNLIN, Tringa alpina, Linnaeus. A very common species 

 from autumn to spring, known to our boys and local shooters as 

 " Stints," which term, however, is used in a generic sense, and covers 

 all the small waders of about this size, no distinction being recognised. 

 Specimens in summer plumage, with breasts more or less black, are 

 not uncommon, either in spring or autumn. 



PURPLE SANDPIPER, Tringa striata, Linnaeus. A winter visit- 

 ant. A rock-loving species, which is common on the Northumber- 

 land coast. At Berwick we generally see a few every autumn, about 

 the beginning of October ; and in very stormy weather in winter I 

 have occasionally seen one or two of these birds running about on 

 the pier. This is one of the tamest, and most unsuspicious, of shore 

 birds, and may sometimes be approached within a few yards. 



Like most of the kindred species, the Purple Sandpiper takes to 

 the water quite naturally ; and I have often watched them, when 

 wading about the pools on the rocks, swim across from side to side 

 wherever the water was of too great a depth to admit of their touch- 

 ing the bottom. In like manner I have seen Dunlins, Redshanks, 

 and Oyster-catchers, swimming without hesitation when they chanced 

 to get out of their depth ; and of course, as is well known, all those 

 birds, including the Common Sandpiper, swim and dive with consider- 

 able power should they happen to fall into the water with a broken 

 wing. 



TEMMINCK'S STINT, Tringa temmincki, Leisler. Has occurred 

 several times in Northumberland, but not noticed here. 



LITTLE STINT, Tringa minuta, Leisler. An autumn visitant, 

 occurring rather irregularly upon the Northumberland coast in Sep- 

 tember, very often in company with the Curlew Sandpiper, and 

 remaining only for a short time. In many years it does not come 

 at all, or is not noticed, while in others it is seen in considerable 

 flocks. At Berwick we have met with it pretty frequently of recent 

 years, on the shad at the mouth of the river, and behind the pier. 

 Like the Curlew Sandpiper, it seems to be of decidedly more common 

 occurrence now than formerly. 



RUFF, Machetes ptignax (Linnaeus). An occasional visitant in 

 autumn. There is a specimen in my collection, which was purchased 



