n6 BRITISH NESTING BIRDS 



centre and end of tail, bill, feet, eyes, and ears; white at base 

 and lower portion of side of tail, also on chin, forehead, stripe 

 over eye, and under parts. During Autumn reddish-brown 

 above, and the tail-feathers have white tips. Female ash- 

 brown above, tinged with yellow, and eye stripe dingy colour. 

 Length. — Six and a half inches. 



WHIMBREL (Numenius phceopus) 



Local Names. — Chequer Bird, Chickerel, Curlew Knot, Half-Calloo, 

 Half-Curlew, Jack Curlew, Knot Curlew, Little Whaap, Long 

 Whaap, Maybird, Seven Whistler, Stone Curlew, Tang Whaap, 

 Titterel, Whimbrel Curlew. 



Haunt. — Moors and mountains in Spring and Summer; seashore, 

 saltings, and mudflats in Winter. 



Nesting Period. — End of May and throughout June. 



Site of Nest. — A slight hollow in the ground. 



Materials Used. — Heather twigs and a few pieces of dry grass. 



Eggs. — Four. Olive-brown, marked with darker brown. 



Food. — Marine insects, crabs, and worms. 



Voice. — Call, a shrill " curlee," a whistling and oft-repeated " tit- 

 terel," and " tetty, tetty, tet." 



Chief Features. — Nests in the far North, but many come South in 

 Winter. Not so shy and wary as the Curlew. May be known 

 by the smaller size. 



Plumage. — Dark-brown crown, with a broad pale streak down centre; 

 above similar to Curlew, but darker; white 

 axillaries, barred with brown. Length. — 

 Female, eighteen inches. 



WHINCHAT (Pratincola rubetra) 



Local Names. — Bank Sparrow, Furze Chat, 

 Furze Chuck, Gorse Chat, Gorse Linnet, 

 Grass Chat, Horse Smatch, Ring Fowl, 

 Stone-chack, Utick, Whin Bushchat. 

 Haunt. — Commons, heaths, railway banks, and 

 ' I waste places. 



Fig. 4 6. Whinchat. Nesting Period.— May and June. 



Site of Nest. — On or close to the ground. 

 Materials Used. — Coarse and fine grass, moss, and straws; some- 

 times roots and hair. 

 Eggs. — Four to Six. Greenish-blue. 



Food. — Insects (including small beetles) and their larvae, worms, 

 etc. 



