100 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



Louisiana islands and should occur regularly on the Alabama 

 coast, but has not thus far been detected there. 



General habits. — This sandpiper frequents mud flats and 

 sandy beaches, in company with the semipalmated sandpiper 

 and other species of shorebirds ; occasionally it is found about 

 pools on the marshes or in overflowed fields on the uplands. 



LEAST SANDPIPER: Pisobia minutilla (Vieillot). 



State records. — The least sandpiper, known frequently as 

 "peep" or "oxeye," is an abundant migrant and a winter resi- 

 dent on the coast. Although nesting only in the far North, 

 it lingers in the South so long and returns so early that it 

 may be considered almost a permanent resident. It is par- 

 ticularly abundant on the coastal islands, but during migra- 

 tion is found also in the interior, about shallow ponds and 

 overflowed fields. On the west point of Dauphin Island, a 

 particularly favorable locality for shorebirds, this species was 

 common August 21, 1911, tolerably common February 13, and 

 abundant March 22, 1912. On the last date several large 

 flocks, apparently composed exclusively of this species, were 

 observed feeding on the mud flats. Golsan and Holt record 

 two specimens taken at Barachias, March 30, 1913,t and 

 Peter A. Brannon took several on the Alabama River, near 

 Montgomery, September 20, 1919. 



Migrants from the north reach northern Alabama the lat- 

 ter part of July and by the middle of August they are common 

 on the coast. At Leighton, McCormack records the birds on 

 numerous dates between July 26 and September 6 ; at Greens- 

 boro, Avery noted them September 3, 1886, and at Bayou 

 Labatre, Outsell records their arrival on August 14, 1911. 

 In spring, a few remain on the coast well into May (Bayou 

 Labatre, May 16, 1911, one specimen), but the northward 

 migration begins early in that month. Migrating individuals 

 have been seen at Greensboro, May 9 to 16, and at Leighton, 

 May 9 to 20. Golsan and Holt record two specimens taken 

 at Barachias, March 30, 1913. 



General habits. — This is the smallest of the sandpipers and 

 one of the most numerous. During its migrations and in 



tThe Auk, vol. 31, p. 219, 1914. 



