50 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



takes itself to the sea-coast, and searches for its food over 

 the broad flats of mud and shingle, which are alternately 

 covered or left bare by the tide. At these periods the birds 

 associate in flocks of various dimensions ; sometimes ten or 

 a dozen may be seen together, and at other times as many as 

 a hundred, or even more. The food consists of worms and 

 marine insects, and these the bird searches for by probing 

 the mud or sand with its beak. It has a very noticeable 

 habit, when thrusting its bill into the mud, of giving a 

 little upward jump> as though to increase the force of the 

 thrust. Low water is the time when the Redshank prose- 

 cutes its search for food ; and the birds may frequently be 

 seen perched on the tops of the low rocks, patiently waiting 

 for the receding tide to uncover their favourite hunting 

 grounds. They are very methodical in the visits they pay 

 to the different " flats,^'' and may generally be seen at a 

 certain time engaged on a certain locality. 



The Redshank is somewhat shy, and objects to every- 

 thing in the shape of familiarity. At the least sign of 

 danger the entire party take to flight, uttering a continu- 

 ous shrill whistle. The alarm felt by these birds appears 

 to be very contagious, as the signal whistle is invariably 

 attended to by any other bird within earshot ; and the 

 sportsman has frequent cause for chagrin and annoyance at 

 the persistent warnings given by these cautious feeders. 



The Redshank is a handsome, graceful-looking bird, 

 either at rest or when moving about. It runs rapidly, and 

 has the same dipping peculiarity in its gait that is so 

 marked in some of the smaller Sandpij)ers. The flight is 

 strong and rapid ; the wings are not stretched to their full 

 extent, but are flapped with considerable quickness. The 

 birds have a habit of holding the wings up just as they 



