266 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Family CHARADRIID^!. Genus TOTANUS. 



Sub-family TOTANINsE. 



COMMON SANDPIPER. 



TOTANUS HYPOLEUCUS (Linnceus). 

 Single Brooded. Laying season, May and early June. 



BRITISH BREEDING AREA : The Common Sandpiper's 

 distribution in our islands is very similar to that of the 

 Ring Ouzel. Commencing in the extreme south-west of 

 England, we find the bird breeding sparingly in Cornwall, 

 Devon, and Somerset, northwards through Wales, where 

 it becomes more abundant, to the Peak district. From 

 this latter locality, northwards, it is common and widely 

 distributed throughout the north of England, and all 

 over Scotland up to the Orkneys and the Shetlands, 

 and westwards to the Hebrides. It is also widely and 

 generally distributed in Ireland. 



BREEDING HABITS : The Common Sandpiper is a 

 summer migrant to our islands, reaching them in April 

 or early May ; a few individuals, however, winter on our 

 shores, but these may not be birds breeding in our area. 

 The haunts of this lively and engaging little Sandpiper 

 are the gravelly banks of lakes, reservoirs, rivers, lochs, 

 and streams. It is not gregarious nor even social during 

 the breeding season, although several nests may be found 

 within a few hundred yards, each pair, however, keeping 

 to themselves. I am of opinion that the Common Sand- 

 piper pairs for life, and yearly returns to one particular 

 haunt to breed, in spite of continual disturbance. The 

 nest is invariably placed on the ground, and generally, 

 but not always, near the water. A favourite site is on 

 a rough bank clothed with a thin, scattered growth of 

 grass, heath, and other plants ; another equally favourite 

 position is beneath a little bush of heath or bilberry, or a 



