EASTEEN" WILLET 33 



P 



its wings and scales downward ; and on its breeding grounds I have 

 seen it hover on quivering wings like a poised falcon. I have 

 not found the wiilet particularly shy, as compared with other large 

 waders, though it has the reputation of being very wary. Wlien in 

 large flocks in open situations, it is useless to attempt to approach 

 it; but I have often walked up to within gunshot range of single 

 birds and have frequently had small flocks fly within range while 

 I was standing in plain sight. On its breeding grounds it is utterly 

 fearless and bold. 



Willets often perch on bushes, trees, fences, posts, rocks, or build- 

 ings, where they can watch and scold at the intruder. Mr. Maynard 

 (1896) has seen them " perching on the limbs of pine trees, 40 or 50 

 feet from the ground, and sometimes, a dozen birds would sit side 

 by side on a single branch, presenting a novel appearance." Being 

 partially webfooted, they can swim fairly well and probably alight 

 on the water to rest when migrating at sea. On the ground they are 

 rather sluggish, standing still much of the time, with heads drawn 

 down. They indulge in the bobbing or nodding motions less fre- 

 quently and more moderately than the yellowlegs do. Francis H. 

 Allen has noted that " in bobbing, the head is drawn back and the 

 tail lowered at the same time, the vvhole body turning as on a pivot, 

 then the head is brought forward and the tail raised to its natural 

 level." 



Voice. — On its breeding grounds the wiilet is a very noisy bird, 

 pouring out a great variety of notes. Its usual note is a loud, ve- 

 hement wek, wek, wek or kerivek, kerioek, kervjek, varied to piuk, 

 piuk, piuJc. Occasionally the whistling note, pill, will, will or pill-o- 

 will-o-willet, is heard, suggesting the note of the yellowlegs in qual- 

 ity, accent, and manner of delivery. Less frequently another note 

 is heard, which sounds like heat it, heat it. John T. Nichols adds in 

 his notes: 



At this season one bears several variations of tlie k'njulc flight note, one of 

 these, TiUyi-yuh suggesting the loudest, most ringing call of the greater yellow- 

 legs. A loud, high-pitched Tcree-uk, which is infrequent, suggests a note of the 

 lesser yellowlegs. Similarly Icuk-kiiJc-lculc-kuk-kuk in tern-like series from 

 two mating birds is probably homologous with the alighting and flushing 

 notes of the yellowlegs. The ordinary loud flight note of the transient wiilet 

 is a far-reaching, gull-like kiyuk, repeated at intervals. A less frequent call 

 resembles the whcu when lolieu of the greater yellowlegs, but is much lower 

 pitched, not loud. It is likely to be heard from a bird lingering at a given 

 locality. 



Enemies. — Man has been the chief enemy of the wiilet and the 

 main cause of the restriction of its breeding areas. When it bred 

 abundantly in Nova Scotia and Virginia its eggs were collected in 

 large numbers as a leo;itimate article of food. And the birds were 



