88 BRITISH NESTING BIRDS 



Food. — Insects in Summer; small seeds in Winter. 



Voice. — A faint little song is uttered, but it must be carefully 

 listened for or it will never be heard. It has a variety of calls 

 and cries, as under: Call, "kreck, kreck, hayid ;"," peewit ; " 

 when perching, " on- wee " or " honree; " on wing, a frequently- 

 uttered " twit " or " tiz-izik." 



Chief Features. — Mostly nests in the North. Many come South in 

 Winter. An active little species, always well worth watching. 



Plumage. — Black forehead, lores, and throat; deep-crimson crown; 

 reddish-brown above, with dusky streaks; dusky wings and 

 tail, with pale edges of reddish-brown ; prominent rose-red 

 breast; white on belly and lower tail-coverts. The female is not 

 so bright as the male. Length. — Five and a quarter inches. 



REDSHANK {Totanus calidris) 



Local Names. — Common Redshank, Gambet Sandpiper (young), 

 Pool Snipe, Red-Leg, Red-Legged Horseman, Red-Legged Sand- 

 piper, Red-Legged Yelper, Redshank Sandpiper, Sand Cock, 

 Striated Sandpiper, Teuke, Took, Yelper. 



Haunt. — Marshes, fens, tidal flats, and saltings. 



Nesting Period. — April and May. 



Site of Nest. — The nest is generally well hidden among grass or other 

 herbage on swampy ground. 



Materials Used. — Dry grass, a little moss, and perhaps heather twigs, 

 but often only the surrounding herbage trodden down. 



Eggs. — Usually Four. Cream-coloured, speckled and spotted with 

 dark brown; very pointed at one end. 



Food. — Marine worms, small crustaceans, insects, etc. 



Voice. — A shrill, piercing " toodle-oodle-oodle-oodle." One of the 

 chief sentinels of the seashore and mudflats. 



Chief Features. — Long legs and beak; clear-cut wings; piercing cry. 

 Feigns being wounded when it has eggs or young. 



Plumage. — The Summer and Winter plumage must be given. The 

 former is pale brown on upper parts, with close streaks and 

 bars of umber; almost white secondaries; white rump, flecked 

 with dusky; white tail-feathers, with blackish bars; white 

 underneath, with umber streaks on neck and breast; orange- 

 red legs and feet. The Winter plumage consists of ash-coloured 

 upper parts; white rump and under parts, sparingly streaked 

 and spotted with prov on the breast and neck. Length. — Eleven 

 inches; female a trifle larger than her mate. 



