524 SANDPIPERS AND RELATED SPECIES 



continues throughout September and October up to the middle of 

 November. It is probable that the late flights that are recorded do 

 not represent newly arrived birds from overseas, but a southward 

 movement of flocks that arrived in the country earlier in the autumn. 

 Migratory movements have been noted on August 29, 1908, on the 

 Haddingtonshire coast ; many fresh arrivals September 1st to 5th, 

 Norfolk ; September llth, Cornwall ; September 25th, Cheshire ; 

 October 14th, fresh arrivals in Suffolk ; and a large flock on October 

 18th at the St. Bees Lighthouse, Cumberland. 1 On September 7, 

 1909, twelve hundred arrived in the Solway, and on November 13th 

 and 14th, between 1 and 4 A.M., considerable numbers passed the 

 Bardsly Light, Carnarvon, apparently flying south. 2 



The young birds on their first arrival are absurdly tame. I once 

 spent about half an hour stalking a small party that were feeding on 

 the open shore, only to find, when I had reached the nearest point 

 to them under cover, that they would allow me to walk quite openly to 

 within a few paces of them. 



The actions of the godwits peculiar to the period of courtship are 

 yet to be recorded. Like many other Waders, the males of both 

 species, according to Naumann, develop a soaring flight in the nesting 

 time, and accompany it with a song consisting of their usual call-notes 

 run together, and being quickly repeated becomes, as Naumann 

 describes it, a sort of jodel-call. He states, moreover, that the 

 blacktailed jodels occasionally on migration before it reaches its 

 breeding-grounds. In its spring flight it floats on extended wings 

 swinging from side to side. 3 



In general nesting habits the two species closely resemble each 

 other. The blacktailed-godwit commences nesting in most countries 

 early in May, although an early nest has been found in Denmark 

 on April 12th. 4 Mr. A. C. Chapman found eggs in Jutland on 

 May 10th which were so far incubated that they must have been 



1 B. O. C. Migration Reports, 1910, p. 276. * Ibid., 1911, p. 256. 



Vogel Mitteleuropas, ix. p. 116 and p. 126. Ibid., ix. p. 118. 



