104 OUR MIGRANT BIRDS 



Habits. — When with us they usually consort in small 

 flocks, sometimes keeping company with Dunlins and 

 Sanderlings. Very tame in disposition. 



Food. — Aquatic insects, worms, small Crustacea and 

 mollusca. 

 Nidification. — Breeds in Northern Europe and Asia. 



GREY PLOVER {Squatarola helvetica), 



A winter visitor ; has not been known to breed here. 

 It greatly resembles the Golden Plover, but is rather 

 larger. Axillaries black (not white, as in Golden Plover), 

 and the white tail-coverts are conspicuous in flight. 

 It has a rudimentary hind toe, unlike the Golden Plover. 

 In habits it resembles the Golden Plover, but is exclu- 

 sively a shore bird. Alarm-note, a plaintive " klee-eep." 

 Call-note is much like Golden Plover's, but uttered in a 

 higher key. 



CURLEW SANDPIPER {Tringa subarquata). 



An annual visitor on migration in small nimabers, 

 chiefly to the east coast. 



Haunts. — Mud and sand-flats. Sometimes penetrat- 

 ing inland. 



Plumage. — Head, neck, and mantle chestnut, streaked 

 and barred with black and grey. Upper tail-coverts 

 buffish white, and barred with black. Quills and tail- 

 feathers ash-grey. Under parts chestnut, barred indis- 

 tinctly with brown and grey on belly and flanks. Bill, 

 legs, and feet black. Note slighty down-curved biU. 

 Length 8 in. Female similar, but slightly larger. 



