354 THE PLOVERS 



breeding ringed-plovers then betake themselves to the coast, seldom 

 being seen in their nesting-quarters after mid- August. At first they 

 may be seen in small parties, but as the autumn advances the more 

 northern breeding birds appear, and they gather together into much 

 larger flocks. They mingle freely with flocks of other Waders, such as 

 dunlin, sanderling, and turnstone, more especially when feeding ; 

 when in flight they usually keep to themselves. The Kentish-plover 

 is said never to mix with the dunlin flocks except when numbers of 

 ringed-plovers are also amongst them, arid to exhibit none of the rest- 

 lessness and timidity so marked in these other two species. " It will 

 sit dozingly for a long period on a spot where the beach has silted up, 

 and there wait for the tide to reveal new-born things." : Both ringed 

 and Kentish-plovers are less active in the middle of the day, especially 

 when the weather is warm. They become very active in the evening, 

 and often at night, unless very dark, when they are seldom heard. 

 The Kentish-plover is exceedingly rapid in its movements. Naumann 

 describes it as the quickest runner and flier of its congeners. 2 

 It departs in September, by the end of which month, Dr. Ticehurst 

 states, most have left ; and he adds, " The latest observation that I 

 have is of three birds seen on the sands at Littlestone on October 10th, 

 1907." 3 



Throughout the winter the ringed-plover may be seen on the 

 shore feeding with other small Waders at low water. They are very 

 partial to the mud-banks at the mouths of large rivers, and also find 

 much food in the form of sand-hoppers and larvae of flies among sea- 

 weed and other refuse at high-tide mark. They are exceedingly 

 active and noisy when feeding, running very rapidly, and stopping 

 abruptly to pick up some small object, repeating these little runs and 

 halts something after the manner of a thrush. 



In flight the flocks are very beautiful to watch, performing evolu- 

 tions in which all move together in wonderful unity, the alternate 



1 Zoologist, 1896, p. 412. 2 Vogel Mitteleuropas, viii. p. 64. 



3 Birds of Kent, p. 425. 



