278 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Family CIIARADRIIDTE. Genus Tringa, 



Sub- family SCOLOPACINAL. 



DUNLIN. 



Tringa alpina, Linncvus. 

 Single Brooded. Laying season, early May and June. 



British breeding area: The Dunlin is the only 

 species in the present genus that breeds within our area. 

 It nests locally and sparingly in Cornwall, Devon, 

 and Somerset (possibly on the Welsh mountains), 

 the marshes of the Dee, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and 

 more commonly in Cumberland, Northumberland, and 

 throughout the west of Scotland — including the Hebrides 

 — north to Sutherlandshire, the Orkneys and Shetlands. 

 In Ireland it breeds somewhat sparingly and locally in 

 the north-west. 



Breeding habits : The Dunlin is a resident in our 

 islands subject to considerable local movement, and its 

 numbers are largely increased in autumn by birds from 

 other lands. Its breeding-grounds in this country are 

 marshy woodlands and mountain swamps at no great 

 distance from the sea as a rule, or at least within a 

 comparatively short distance of tidal waters. During 

 March and April the birds leave their winter haunts on 

 the coasts and mud-flats, and retire to the breeding- 

 grounds. Although gregarious enough at all other 

 times of the year, in the nesting season the bird can 

 scarcely be considered so. It is, however, social even 

 then, and numbers of pairs may be found breeding 

 within a small area of suitable ground. The bird 

 appears to pair annually, and during that period the 

 males soar and trill. The nest, invariably on the 

 ground, well concealed and difficult to find, is usually 



