150 LIFE AND SPORT IN HAMPSHIRE 



It wheels round the intruder by quick, slight 

 strokes, or half strokes, of the wing, which look 

 little more than quivers; and, between these, the 

 redshank, with wing outstretched or partly flexed, 

 sails and glides. 



A few minutes of this motion and it drops to 

 the ground, and, standing on a hummock, watches 

 the intruder closely, and, still piping, cranes its head 

 and neck and bows or nods. When this redshank 

 play is first seen in the water meadows, one feels 

 almost sure it must have a nest near by and is 

 alarmed and vexed by the intruder. I know nothing 

 of the redshank at other seasons, but I suppose this 

 wheeling exercise and these bows and nods and 

 pipings are peculiar to the nesting time. Yet, I 

 doubt whether the redshank play proves that the 

 bird really has a nest in these meadows or has a 

 mate here. Without a nest, without a mate even, 

 the redshank may wheel and pipe and bow when 

 disturbed. The passion of the season may be strong 

 in him. Nightingales sing intensely, lapwings twirl 

 and tumble, even if they have found no mates. They 

 are in high excitement at this season, and anything 

 sets them into music or motion: this might explain 

 the play of the redshank in meadows where it is 

 not nesting. 



The sandpiper is one of the balancing birds rest- 

 less as any wagtail. Head and neck and tail are 

 all going hard, almost at the same time ; it is as if 



