Wanderings of a Naturalist 



scarcely a ripple to mark the spot. None of the divers has 

 ever been known to nest in England. The red- and black- 

 throated species nest sparingly in the Scottish Highlands, 

 but the nearest breeding haunt of the great northern is 

 Iceland. 



Far out to sea great flocks of widgeon can be seen riding 

 buoyantly on the swell, and near them are numbers of scoters 

 — expert surf-divers, all of them. On the rocks are flocks of 

 turnstones and purple sandpipers feeding at the edge of the 

 tide. These small birds are wonderfully adept in following 

 each succeeding wave, picking up minute living objects that 

 it has left behind it and then running back at top speed before 

 the onslaught of the next breaker. Often, however, the wave 

 is too swift for them, and then the whole flock, as the rock 

 on which they are feeding becomes rapidly awash, are com- 

 pelled to take wing and seek fresh quarters. During flight 

 the turnstones call with a pleasant twittering note, but I have 

 never heard the purple sandpipers utter any sound. 



On a sandy creek a few oyster-catchers are feeding, and 

 near them a flock of dunlin. The evolutions of this small 

 wader when on the wing are nothing less than marvellous. 

 Flying at express speed, the whole flock describe sudden 

 twists and turns in perfect formation, at times even doubling 

 back with seemingly never a pause in their flight. They 

 appear to perform these evolutions for no other reason than 

 the joy of life, and, when tired, alight on the sands and 

 commence restlessly searching for food at the water's edge. 

 Unlike the turnstones and purple sandpipers, which are 

 essentially rock-frequenting birds, dunlin are almost always 

 found on stretches of sand or mud-flats left bare by the tide. 



The dunlin permit me to approach to within a few yards, 

 then rise in a body, all except one bird, which remains behind. 

 This individual appears as though he has suffered some injury 

 to his wing, for I am able to approach within ten feet and he 

 still makes no attempt at flight. He shows sense in that, 

 on the coming of an extra big wave, he climbs up on to a 



igo 



