520 SANDPIPERS AND RELATED SPECIES 



or a nice spit of gravel." l In small parties of four to six, it flies 

 noisily up and down an estuary, now shooting up to a surprising 

 height and then flying in wide circles. It seldom bores for food, 

 preferring shrimps and small fishes, which it takes in the shallow 

 water. It is said that although fairly common in autumn, it seldom 

 visits the Solway district in spring, and, like some other Waders, 

 probably has a spring route more to the south-east. Although 

 migration is chiefly by night, they occasionally travel by day ; a small 

 party was seen, as it were, to "fly down from the clouds," rest for 

 a short time, and then continue their journey. 2 



As usual, many renderings of their notes have been given. The 

 following constitute a fair sample, and some agree moderately well ; 

 the call, alarm, and spring notes are all modifications of the 

 same. 



The call-note of the greenshank has been given " tyu tyu" 3 also 

 "diu dm diu diu diu diu"^ and by Naumann "tjiu" or "tyia"; and 

 another, intended, I think, for the mobbing-note when the birds have 

 young, "dick-dick," which is also rendered by V. Droste "kiik-kiik." 5 

 This is probably the same note as given by Wheelwright as " chee-weet 

 chee-weet " & The breeding-note, which Naumann says may also be 

 heard on migration, before the birds reach their nesting-places, and 

 which, although generally uttered on the wing, may occasionally be 

 heard while the birds are standing, is rendered by him " dahikll dahudl 

 dahudl" and by Y. Droste as " lowit-lowit." 7 



The call-note of the redshank is loud and clear, "too-e, too-oo-oo" 

 or as rendered by Professor Patten " thu-wMd-who thti-whod-who." 8 

 Naumann's " dja-djii " I cannot fit to any note I have heard. His 

 rendering of the breeding-song "dalidl dlidl dlidl dlidl," 9 however, 

 serves very well to recall the sound (cf. my rendering, ante, p. 512), as 

 also does Professor Patten's " leero leero " for the note uttered whilst 



1 Field, 1890, vol. Ixxvi. p. 404. 2 Ibid. 



* Seebohm, British Birds, iii. p. 151. * Aquatic Birds, p. 350. 



6 Vogel Mitteleuropas, ix. p. 97. * Ornithology of Lapland, p. 351. 



7 Vogel Mitteleuropas, ix. p. 97. 8 Aquatic Birds, p. 343. 

 9 Vogel Mitteleuropas, ix. p. 64. 



