Birds of Britain 

 THE COMMON SANDPIPER 



Totanus hypoleucus (Linnaeus) 



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, 



