84 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



as I presume, to the neighbourhood of Northampton, 

 and is no doubt perfectly to be depended upon. 



Since the above paragraph was first sent to the press 

 I have received more than one authentic report of 

 very young Sandpipers from the neighbourhood of 

 Northampton. 



As a general rule the Common Sandpiper visits 

 our Islands early in April, and breeds in many 

 counties of the three kingdoms, generally preferring 

 the vicinity of rapid streams or lakes with shingly 

 margins for its nesting-place ; as soon as the 

 young are well able to take care of themselves, 

 the family parties work their way, with frequent 

 halts, down the course of the streams to the 

 coast, and generally leave the country altogether 

 about the beginning of October, although I have 

 more than once met with a solitary loiterer about 

 the harbours of the south coast of England as late as 

 the middle of November, The nest is generally weU 

 concealed amongst heather or rushes and is composed 

 of dried stalks of coarse grass or rush, with a little 

 moss, and occasionally a few dead leaves of birch or 

 willow. 1 found several pairs of this species breeding 

 near a lonely mountain " llyn," in North Wales ; 

 most of the eggs were hatched, and the old birds 

 tried all manner of devices to lead me and my dog 

 away from their downy broods ; the young birds, 

 although very recently hatched, had the instinct of 

 concealment already very perfectly developed, and 

 had it not been for the sagacity and good nose of my 

 four-footed companion, I very much doubt if I should 

 have found even one of them, but he paid no attention 

 whatever to the tricks and clamour of the parent 

 birds, and very soon found a nest containing one 



