i6 



THE SHORE BIRDS. 



REDSHANK. 



Not so common as might be expected considering 

 the great number of shore birds, or rather "waders," 

 which remain with us for the winter. 



SPOTTED 

 REDSHANK. 



COMMON 

 SANDPIPER. 



A very rare visitor. Mr. C. S. Gregson (Proc. Histor. 

 Soc. Lane, and Ches. 1865-66) says he shot one at 

 the mouth of the Alt in October, 1864. 



Is to be seen every winter in countless numbers all 

 along the sea shore. They appear especially fond 

 of the mudflats lying to the South-west of the 

 Formby Lifeboat House.* 



RINGED PLOVER. Breeds in small numbers in the outer sandhills every 

 (Aegialitis hiatieula.) year. Its nest and eggs might be easily mistaken 

 for those of a very small peewit. 



GREY PLOVER. By no means a rare bird. Plenty are shot every 

 helvetica.) winter by the professional gunners. 



DOTTEREL. 



Very rare now-a-days. We have three specimens 

 stuffed, which were killed at the mouth of the river 

 Alt. 



PEEWIT. 



}See " MOSS BIRDS." These two varieties are frequently 

 met with and shot on the coast, especially during 

 severe frosts when the mosses are icebound. 



SHORE LARK. Mr. F. S. Mitchell in the " Birds of Lancashire," 



(Otocorys alpcstris.) states: "An exceedingly rare winter visitor. Mr. 



John Hardy informs me that two instances of the 



"COMMON SANDPIPER. William Dean, Walter Rimmer and lames Meadows, three local gunners, 

 once shot close on a hundred Dunlins and Sandpipers to their three barrels on a moonlight night 

 during the severe frost of December, 1890. 



