Fig. 79. 



64 BRITISH BIRDS 



bright orange-red beak and black and white plumage. See 

 the figure. The lower back, rump, and basal half of tail 

 white. Legs flesh-colour. After the 

 autumn moult the black of the neck is 

 broken by an irregular band of white. 

 The fledgling has pale buff margins on 

 the wings and tail-coverts. 



Nest. On rough ground, rocks, or sand ; 

 usually near the sea. A scrape lined with 

 pebbles, shells, bits of grass, and other 

 material. 



Eggs. Usually 3. Yellowish or rufous- 

 yellow spotted, blotched, and scrawled with black-brown and 

 underlying ash. Greenish-blue ground rare. Av. size, 2 '22 

 x 1*54 in. Laying begins usually in early May. One brood. 



128. Turnstone [Arenaria interpres (Linnaeus) ; Strepsilas 

 interpres (Linnaeus)]. Name due to habit of turning over 

 stones in search of food. Winter visitor to our shores and 

 bird of passage. Seen also in summer, but evidence of 

 breeding slight. 



Bird. Length 8 in. In summer the crown and nape are 

 white streaked black, the white of the nape extending to 

 form a band down each side of the neck. The mantle mostly 

 boldly marked with black and chestnut. The white of the 

 lower back and upper tail-coverts is divided by the black of 

 the rump. Tail mostly dark grey with white bases and tips. 

 Under-parts white, except the f orebreast and neck-band, which 

 are black. Beak black. Legs orange-red. After the autumn 

 moult the upper-parts are mostly Drown, with dusky brown 

 centres to the feathers. Throat white. Breast as back. 

 Belly white. Sides of the head ash-brown mixed with white. 



(5) Family : Charadriidce. (d) Subfamily : Tringince. 



129. Dunlin [Erolia 



Fig. 80. 



alpina alpina (Linnaeus) ; Tringa 

 alpina Linnaeus]. Very common 

 winter visitor on our coasts, where 

 non-breeding birds can also be seen 

 in summer. Breeds in Scotland, and 

 very sparingly elsewhere. 



Bird. Length 7J in. Sexes alike, 

 but female larger. The accompany- 

 ing figure of the dunlin may be taken 

 as generally typical of the Family, 

 its members having long legs en- 

 abling them to wade in shallow 



