96 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



THE DIVING HABIT AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT OF THE 

 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 



By H. Mousley, Hatley, Que. 



In the "Ottawa Naturalist," for September, 1918, 

 page 56, Mr. John D. Tothill gives an instance 

 whilst out canoeing on the Restigouche River, of 

 the diving of this small Sandpiper to avoid pursuit 

 by a hungry Pigeon Hawk (Falco columbarius) 

 and speaks of the behaviour as being unusual. I 

 remember being equally surprised on first witnessing 

 this habit some few years ago at Hatley. On that 

 occasion I had shot an immature bird which fell at 

 the edge of the water, but on proceeding to the spot 

 to pick it up as I thought, was surprised to see it 

 wade out into the water, where after getting out of 

 its depth it sank to the bottom, and by means of its 

 wings and feet proceeded to travel at a great rate 

 under the water to a small mud bank, where it came 

 to the surface and hid in the surrounding rushes. 

 (See "The Auk," Vol. xxxiii. 1916, p. 66.) 



That this wading, swimming and diving habit is 

 by no means so unusual as most people imagine, 

 seems to be borne out by the experience of others, 

 for Dr. Warren notes that a young bird when 

 wounded took to the water in a shallow stream, 

 went to the bottom like a stone, ran across on the 

 botton, and coming up on the other side endeavoured 

 to conceal itself by submerging its body and pushing 

 its head among long grass growing at the water's 

 edge. In September, 1876, Mr. E. H. Forbush 

 saw a wounded bird of this species when pursued, 

 dive into deep water from the shore of the Charles 

 River and fly off under water, using its wings 

 somewhat as a bird would use them in the air. All 

 its plumage was covered with bubbles of air, which 

 caught the light until the bird appeared as if studded 

 with sparkling gems as it sped away into the depths 

 of the dark river. (See "Game Birds, Wild Fowl 

 and Shore Birds," Forbush, 1912, p. 323, where 

 Dr. Warren's experience is also recorded). Dr. 

 Charles W. Townsend remarks in his "Birds of 

 Essex County," 1905, p. 188, that the young birds, 

 while still covered with natal down, run very fast 

 and when hard pressed, take to the water and swim 

 rapidly and easily. 



Regarding the community spirit of this restless 

 little Sandpiper, the same author speaks of its being 

 particularly fond of nesting on islands, and that in 

 the late seventies he used to find the eggs at Kettle 

 Island off Magnolia, whilst Mr. W. A. Jeffries 

 found eleven nests with eggs, and one with young at 

 Tink<-r's Island, off Marblehcad, on June 8, 1878. 

 Four nests were in the short grass on high land, 

 while the others were all found more or less far un- 

 der the rocks scattered over the grass or along the 

 shore. 



Nuttall in his "Manual of the Ornithology of the 

 United States and Canada," 1834, Vol. 2, p. 164, 

 speaks of their nesting at Egg Rock off Nahant, in 

 the immediate vicinity of the noisy nurseries of the 

 quailing Terns. Mr. Julian K. Potter, writing in 

 "Bird Lore," Vol. xx, 1918, No. 4, pp. 282-284, 

 says, "That the Spotted Sandpiper sometimes as- 

 sociates with others of its kind, and may be found 

 breeding in a restricted area, is an established fact, 

 but I believe, however, that this habit is the excep- 

 tion rather than the rule with these birds." He then 

 goes on to relate how at the end of May, 1913, he 

 found Spotted Sandpipers nesting in colonies within 

 the city limits of Camden, N.J., as well as in the 

 wilds of Pike County, Pa. In the former place six 

 nests were found within an area of one forth acre, 

 whilst in the latter about twelve pairs (three nests 

 were actually found) were thought to be breeding 

 in quite a limited area. 



As regards my own experience at Hatley, I have 

 already recorded in "The Auk," that usually not 

 less than six pairs used to nest on the margins of 

 'the marsh' some fifteen acres in extent, but of late 

 years the numbers seem to have decreased. The 

 most extraordinary case, however, of this commun- 

 ity spirit and partiality for nesting on small islands 

 is related by Mr. L. M. Terrill in his paper on 

 "The changes in the status of certain birds in the 

 vicinity of Montreal," "Ottawa Naturalist," Vol. 

 XXX, 191 1, p. 57, wherein he says, "Having seen no 

 mention of gregarious habits attributed to this Sand- 

 piper, it might be of interest to note that a few years 

 ago a large colony were nesting on Isle Ronde (a 

 small island of a few acres, opposite the city). 

 Visiting this island on May 26, 1896, I located 

 without difficulty thirteen occupied nests. Again on 

 May 31, 1898, I examined upwards of twenty-five. 

 On each occasion only a small portion of the island 

 was examined and I estimated that there were well 

 over one hundred pairs breeding." 



In striking contrast to this might be mentioned 

 my experience with the Common Sandpiper of 

 Europe (Tringa hypolenca) first cousin to our 

 Spotted species, and a bird very like it not only in 

 appearance but in general habits also. In the British 

 Isles on the rivers Wharfe in Yorkshire, the Wye, 

 Hamps, Manifold and Dove (the latter immortal- 

 ized by Isaac Walton and Charles Cotton, the lat- 

 ter of whom calls her the "Princess of Rivers") all 

 in Derbyshire, I have had ample opportunities of ob- 

 serving that instead of a community spirit existing 

 the opposite seems to be the case, for there each 

 pair of birds selects and monopolizes a certain 



