166 AN EAST COAST NATURALIST 



thrusting its beak in pretty well up to the hilt each 

 time, sometimes withdrawing it with its face quite 

 muddy. The Turnstone appears always in a hurry, 

 as if eager to get over a certain area in a given time. 

 In this locality the Sanderling, like the Oyster-catcher 

 and the Purple-Sandpiper, much prefers the beach to 

 Breydon mud flats ; but only in the very bitterest 

 weather in winter do we expect to see the Sanderling 

 on the sands. In the spring migration a few usually 

 visit Breydon as well as the shore. The Knot is ex- 

 ceedingly sociable, and in most instances, except when 

 in fair-sized flocks, attaches itself to a parcel of small 

 waders. The Common Sandpiper prefers the river 

 margins to Breydon ; and, when found on that 

 estuary, invariably keeps to the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of the flint walls, seldom being seen 

 feeding out in the open. Young Redshanks very 

 industriously pursue opossum shrimps at the river 

 margin : when on Breydon mud flats they pipe con- 

 siderably when feeding, often hunting for their prey 

 with the water level with their bellies. The Green- 

 shank, like Ruffs of the year, appears partial to the 

 small puddles of still water to be found in ronds. 

 The Godwit is not noisy when feeding ; the Green- 

 shank, the Whimbrel, and Dunlin are quite the 



