PLOVERS AND SANDPIPERS. in 



in some yet undiscovered part of the Arctic regions, 

 retiring southwards to winter in Africa, various 

 parts of southern Asia and in Australia. It is 

 during these journeys between the Arctic regions 

 and the tropics that it occurs on the British coasts, 

 a few individuals even remaining upon them all the 

 winter through. As might naturally be expected it 

 is most frequently observed on the vast stretches of 

 low coast on the eastern side of England ; it is also 

 a tolerably frequent visitor to the south coast, even 

 as far westwards as Devon and Cornwall. A few 

 Curlew Sandpipers arrive on our coasts in April, 

 but the greater number pass along them in May, 

 stragglers lingering until June. The return flight 

 is noticed in August, and consists mostly of young 

 birds, the older ones reaching us during September 

 and October. The habits of this Sandpiper very 

 closely resemble those of the Dunlin, in whose 

 company the bird is very frequently found, and from 

 which it may readily be distinguished, even at a 

 distance, by its pure white upper tail-coverts. It 

 prefers coasts of a muddy rather than a sandy 

 character, haunting saltings, estuaries, and muds. 

 Here, its actions are much the same as those of all 

 these little sand birds; it feeds both by day and 

 night ; and often retires during high water to some 

 wet land near the sea, to wait the ebb. The food 

 of this species consists of crustaceans, worms, 

 molluscs, and insects. Its note is described as 

 being louder than that of the Dunlin. 



