A Day on the Bay Shore, 



the most common of the winter shore 

 birds about San Francisco Bay, and 

 everyone who visits the mud-flats at 

 this season is sure to make their 

 acquaintance. 



A bird which in many respects seems 

 very like a sandpiper, and which never- 

 theless differs from it in many essential 

 particulars, frequents the bay shore at 

 times and is well worth our careful at- 

 tention. We may happen upon it on 

 our midwinter ramble, although it is 

 most common during a short period of 

 the spring and autumn, while migrating 

 from its far northern summer home to 

 more southern regions. It is the red 

 phalarope, a bird very much like the 

 dunlin in build and general appearance, 

 but which may be instantly known from 

 any sandpiper by the fact that it habit- 

 ually swims upon the water instead of 

 wading. Its toes are slightly webbed 

 at the base like the toes of the semi- 

 palmated sandpiper, and it is further pro- 

 vided for swimming by a series of loose 



96 



