SANDERLING 487 



shores and the country was covered with snow. In 1907 they left on 

 August 30th. 



While in the care of their parents young sanderlings appear to 

 suffer very little from natural enemies ; this is attributed to their 

 protective coloration and to the vigilance of their parents. Out of 

 some fifty broods observed all were reared, a proof that they suffer little 

 from the bird-eating mammals of the country. At the same tune as 

 Herr Manniche admits the proof is " not quite unassailable," as the 

 Polar fox which frequently visits the domain of the Waders would, 

 once on the track, easily blot out a whole brood. Like the turnstone, 

 the sanderling cannot tolerate Buffon's skua near its breeding-ground. 

 In fact, all the Waders seem to regard this handsome skua as their 

 worst enemy. On the other hand, none were observed to act on 

 the offensive against the raven, which was frequently seen about their 

 nesting-places. When the young sanderling are left to themselves, 

 their chief enemy is the gyr-falcon. 



When on our shores in autumn and winter, the feeding-habits of 

 the sanderling are similar to those of the dunlin, with which species, 

 and the ringed-plover, it associates freely. I have not seen very large 

 flocks on the east coast, ten to thirty birds being about the usual 

 number in autumn. They may be seen feeding at low tide with other 

 small Waders, or flying rapidly in a compact bunch low down along 

 the edge of the water. 



The Rev. H. A. Macpherson describes the aerial manoeuvres of 

 large flocks as "neither so sharp nor so angular" as those of the 

 dunlin. The same author states that although large flocks visit the 

 sandy shores of the Solway Firth both in spring and autumn, the species 

 is not nearly so numerous in the latter season, and concludes that the 

 bulk of the birds that pass that way in the spring return to their winter 

 quarters by some other route. 1 



Compared with its congeners the sanderling is very quiet, seldom 

 uttering a note unless alarmed, except a quiet chirping when feeding 



1 Fauna of Lakeland, p. 391. 



