PURPLE SANDPIPER 151 



Maine, a flock of about 50 of these hardy little birds seemed out of 

 place in our rough surroundings. It was a cold, blustering day ; the 

 surf was breaking over the rocks and the sea was white with combing 

 breakers; even the hardy sea ducks sought the shelter of the ledges; 

 but these plump little birds seemed quite happy and contented as they 

 huddled together in a compact flock on the slippery rocks. They 

 were very tame and confiding; even the reports of our guns served 

 only to make them circle out around the ledge a few times and then 

 return to its shelter. Evidently this was their winter home. We did 

 not have the heart to shoot any of them. 



Mr. Nichols tells me that " very occasionally in winter, early spring 

 or late fall, one finds single birds on the sandy beaches of New York 

 or New Jersey south of the rocks." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Europe, Asia, and northeastern North America. 



Breeding range. — In the Old World the purple sandpiper breeds in 

 the Arctic regions from Iceland, Norway, and Spitsbergen east to 

 Nova Zembla and the Taimyr Peninsula. In North America the 

 breeding range extends north to Franklin (Igloolik) ; and Greenland 

 (Hare Island, and Shannon Islands). East to Greenland (Shannon 

 Islands and Ivimiut). South to Greenland (Ivimiut and Ivigtut) ; 

 and Franklin (southern Baffin Island, Cumberland Sound, and 

 Winter Island). West to Franklin (Winter Island and Igloolik). 

 It has been detected in summer still farther north ; Franklin (Mercy 

 Bay, Fury Point, Boothia Felix, and Possession Bay) ; and Green- 

 land (Bowdoin Bay, Thank God Harbor, North Star Bay, and Fort 

 Conger). 



Winter range. — The purple sandpiper winters farther north than 

 any other shore bird. North and east to southern Greenland (Ivig- 

 tut) ; eastern Nova Scotia (St. Peter's Island) ; Massachusetts (Rock- 

 port, Westport, and Boston) ; Rhode Island (Cormorant Rock) ; Con- 

 necticut (Saybrook and Faulkner Island) ; and rarely New York 

 (Gull Island, Montauk, and Amity ville). South to New York 

 (Amityville). West to New York (Amityville) ; Connecticut (New 

 Haven) ; Maine (Cumberland County, Matinicus Island, and Wash- 

 ington County) ; New Brunswick (Grand Manan and the Bay of 

 Fundy) ; Prince Edward Island; and southern Greenland (Ivigtut). 



Spring migration. — Early dates of spring arrival are: Franklin, 

 Annanactook, June 4, Winter Island, June 10, Cambridge Bay, 

 June 10, and Igloolik, June 14; Greenland, about 72° north latitude, 

 May 29 ; and Baffin Island, Cape Dorset, May 30. 



Late dates of spring departure are : Xew York, Sag Harbor, 

 April 18, and Long Beach, May 4, Rhode Island, Sachuest Point, 



