92 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



Apethorpe, Gottersock, and AYarmington, in March, 

 April, and May, and no doubt nest therein. My 

 informants attribute not finding the eggs of this bird 

 to the fact of being forestalled in their research by 

 matutinal robbers of " Plover's " eggs. 



Three or four Redshanks have at this time of 

 writing — May 29, 1895 — either eggs or young in a 

 large meadow near Aldwincle. Four of these birds 

 have been haunting the locality since March last ; 

 and two days ago I saw three in the greatest anxiety 

 on being disturbed by the Bucks Otter-hounds. This 

 is the first instance that has come to my knowledge 

 of the Redshank's breeding on my own shootings in 

 Northamptonshire. 



Many Redshanks still breed in England, not only 

 in unreclaimed fens and marshes, but often in 

 drained pasture-lands and now and then on heathery 

 moors ; the few nests that I have personally found 

 in Norfolk, Ireland, and Spain were placed in the 

 centre of tufts of the common rush, and consisted of 

 a few stalks of dried rush or grass, generally well 

 hidden from sight; the complement of eggs is 

 four, their ground-colour is a greenish-yellow, with 

 blotches of red, brown, and dark grey ; the young 

 birds can generally fly in the first week of June, 

 occasionally some days earlier. In its breeding- 

 localities the Redshank may be found from early 

 spring till real winter sets in, when the birds con- 

 gregate in great numbers on the sea-coasts, especially 

 where there happens to be any extent of soft mud left 

 by the ebbing tides. In its habits this bird resembles 

 the other Sandpipers, feeding principally upon worms, 

 small snails, and aquatic insects, and running briskly 

 about with continued movements of head and tail. I 



