﻿THE 
  BIRDS 
  OF 
  NOBTH 
  KENT. 
  167 
  

  

  often 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  large 
  flocks 
  of 
  Lapwings 
  (Vanellus 
  

   vulgaris). 
  The 
  Dunlin 
  (Tringa 
  alpina) 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  large 
  flocks 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round, 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  sum- 
  

   mer 
  with 
  the 
  dark 
  band 
  on 
  the 
  breast 
  ; 
  and 
  Curlew 
  (Numenius 
  

   arquata) 
  and 
  Whimbrel 
  (X. 
  phceopus) 
  are 
  also 
  nearly 
  always 
  to 
  

   be 
  seen 
  or 
  heard 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round, 
  either 
  on 
  the 
  mud-flats 
  or 
  

   saltings, 
  Curlew 
  being 
  more 
  numerous 
  of 
  the 
  two. 
  

  

  Of 
  all 
  the 
  Waders, 
  however, 
  the 
  Redshank 
  (Totanus 
  calidris) 
  

   is 
  the 
  most 
  numerous, 
  and, 
  although 
  distributed 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  

   marshland 
  during 
  the 
  nesting 
  season, 
  it 
  confines 
  itself 
  almost 
  

   entirely 
  to 
  the 
  mud-flats 
  and 
  salt-marshes 
  during 
  the 
  autumn 
  and 
  

   winter. 
  A 
  little 
  manoeuvring 
  behind 
  the 
  river 
  wall, 
  will 
  often 
  

   enable 
  one 
  to 
  watch 
  small 
  flocks 
  of 
  these 
  birds, 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  

   oozy 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  creeks, 
  and 
  channels 
  of 
  the 
  saltings. 
  They 
  

   run 
  rapidly 
  as 
  they 
  feed, 
  occasionally 
  taking 
  short 
  flights, 
  trying 
  

   to 
  get 
  ahead 
  of 
  each 
  other, 
  continually 
  probing 
  the 
  mud 
  with 
  

   their 
  bills, 
  not 
  hesitating 
  to 
  run 
  breast-deep 
  into 
  the 
  water, 
  and 
  

   every 
  few 
  moments 
  uttering 
  a 
  soft 
  low 
  whistle. 
  They 
  are 
  more 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  approach 
  at 
  high 
  tide, 
  when 
  all 
  but 
  the 
  highest 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  saltings 
  are 
  submerged. 
  These 
  high 
  places 
  they 
  choose 
  

   to 
  rest 
  on, 
  and 
  however 
  careful 
  the 
  watcher 
  may 
  be, 
  he 
  will 
  

   hardly 
  have 
  got 
  his 
  head 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  

   wall 
  before 
  he 
  is 
  greeted 
  by 
  the 
  shrill 
  alarm-note 
  — 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  

   double 
  whistle 
  — 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  birds, 
  which 
  he 
  will 
  probably 
  see 
  

   flying 
  straight 
  towards 
  him, 
  as 
  though 
  to 
  investigate, 
  then 
  circling 
  

   round, 
  often 
  quite 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  water, 
  with 
  rapid 
  and 
  powerful 
  

   strokes 
  of 
  the 
  wings, 
  sounding 
  its 
  alarm-whistle 
  all 
  the 
  time, 
  and 
  

   effectually 
  arousing 
  any 
  birds 
  in 
  the 
  near 
  neighbourhood. 
  In 
  

   a 
  minute 
  or 
  two 
  it 
  will 
  settle 
  on 
  another 
  piece 
  of 
  land, 
  raising 
  its 
  

   wings 
  straight 
  over 
  its 
  back 
  before 
  folding 
  them 
  into 
  their 
  places 
  ; 
  

   and, 
  after 
  bowing 
  its 
  head 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times 
  in 
  different 
  direc- 
  

   tions, 
  it 
  will 
  subside 
  into 
  quietness 
  until 
  disturbed 
  again. 
  This 
  

   bird 
  has 
  a 
  trick 
  of 
  bowing 
  its 
  head 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  ; 
  it 
  will 
  stop 
  in 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  feeding 
  to 
  do 
  so, 
  the 
  bow 
  being 
  often, 
  but 
  not 
  

   always, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  whistle. 
  In 
  a 
  walk 
  through 
  these 
  

   saltings 
  at 
  low 
  tide, 
  requiring 
  to 
  be 
  done 
  with 
  some 
  circum- 
  

   spection, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  sticky 
  mud, 
  and 
  creeks 
  which 
  need 
  

   negotiating, 
  one 
  will 
  surprise 
  many 
  parties 
  of 
  these 
  birds, 
  and 
  

   Dunlins, 
  feeding 
  along 
  the 
  smaller 
  channels. 
  Their 
  shrill 
  alarm- 
  

  

  