The Whimbrel. 



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Jack ' Curlew (as "Jack" Snipe) and, in Norfolk, "May bird," from its regul 

 appearance on its nortliward journey about the beginning of that month. The 

 note IS an easy one for anyone with a fair musical ear to imitate, and I have 

 called and shot a number, as they are fairly good birds for the table. The 

 Whimbrel does not long absent itself from our shores; leaving in .mid-May for 

 the north to breed, some few are back again by the end of July, and in August 

 get quite plentiful. But I doubt if they can be accurately said to be absent from 

 our coasts at all, except in winter, as I have seen odd ones on the Norfolk coast 

 during the last fortnight in June ; they were evidently not on passage, and were 

 there all the .time that I was, some way into early July. I suspect that these 

 late stayers are birds of the year (as I have also surmised in the case of other 

 species) which do not feel impelled to breed, and therefore ' pass the summer 

 some distance south of the true breeding-quarters of the species. They might, 

 of course, be barren or injured individuals in some cases, but we have every 

 reason to suppose that in a vast number of boreal-breeding species (not by any 

 means of Waders alone) individuals are to be found — many immature, either in 

 plumage, sexual organs, or both — some distance south of the breeding area 

 during the breeding season. In 1895, we found King Eiders, none fully adult, 

 in S. Novaya Zemlya, but satisfied ourselves that none were breeding there. 

 After August Whimbrel decrease, as Curlews increase, in numbers. Whimbrel 

 seldom go inland in our country, except on migration, and even that rarely; 

 nor do they ever seem to settle by river sides for a few days, as many other 

 Waders do on migration. On September 5th, 1888, I was surprised by the 

 familiar whistle in mid-Cambridgeshire. There was only one bird, and when I 

 answered it circled round, but was too bent on pushing on to take further 

 notice. 



They are less of marine feeders than the Curlew, though so seldom found 

 away from the coast, living more on land snails, worms, etc. They often go to 

 newly ploughed fields near the sea as well as grass fields. To a certain extent 

 they live on marine Crustacea, etc., but never so much as to give their flesh the 

 rank fishy taste, which the Curlew's gets. Though fairly wary, they are not so 

 pretematurally sharp sighted and vigilant as Curlews are; nor do they alarm 

 the whole neighbourhood to the same extent. 



2 B 



Vol V. 



