/I 



44 



None of our shore birds, so called, 

 are better known or more often seen 

 than our SPOTTED SANDPIPER, — of- 

 ten called "Tip-up" or "Teeter-tail" be- 

 cause of their peculiar habit of bowing 

 and bobbing- the tail while standing. 

 They are found along the seashore, riv- 

 ers, about lakes or any of our small 

 ponds. T\'hen they wish to reach a 

 point farther along shore, they always 

 make a wide detour out over the water 

 uttering a clear, sweetly whistled "peet- 

 weet" as a good bye to us or a greeting 

 to the friends they are to visit. Their 

 food consists of insects gathered along 

 the edge of the water or in fields or cul- 

 tivated land. Their nests are composed 

 of but a few dried grasses twisted 

 about a slight depression in the ground, 

 usually under concealment of long 

 grass or clumps of weeds. The nest 

 may or may not be close to the water. 

 The eggs are pear-shaped, of a buffy 

 color, spotted with dark brown. The 

 little gray, striped downy young leave 

 the nest and run about after their 

 mother as soon as hatched. 



.^EMIPALMATED PLOVER, or Ringneck.s. are com- 

 monly found along the seacoast during August and again in 

 May, and less often about the mud flats of some of our 

 lakes and ponds. A single black band across the breast 

 is the field mark of this species. KILDEER are larger 

 than the last species, have two black bands across the breast 

 and a long tail which is rufous at the base. They are very 

 abundant in the Mississippi Valley, rather common in New 

 York state and of local occurrence during the breeding 

 season in New England. They are very noisy during 

 spring and summer, their loud cries of "Kildee, kildee, etc." 

 coming from upland, fields or shores of ponds. Their 

 nests are on the ground under concealment of patches of 

 weeds or tufts of grass. 



WOODCOCK are not uncommon as breeding birds, but 

 are, of course, more numerous during migrations when the 

 northern birds are passing through. They come early in 

 spring — just as soon as the ground softens enough for 

 them to secure food. They have very long bills to probe 

 deeply in soft mud for worms ; the tips are very flexible and 

 sensitive enable them to feel and grasp prey. The eyes 

 are large so they can see well in the dark and are placed 



