The Pectoral Sandpiper 



Requires careful distinction from succeeding species, which is 



Taken in Monterey County 



distinctive for size, 

 one-third smaller. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: A depression in the ground or 

 tundra. Eggs: 4; pale olive-buff to deep olive-buff, heavily marked, spotted, and 

 blotched with brownish black and sepia, the darker markings often heavily shadowed 

 by sepia or light brownish olive. Av. size 38.1 x 27.2 (1.50 x 1.07) ; index 71.3. Season: 

 June; one brood. 



General Range. — Northeastern Siberia, the whole of North America and the 

 West Indies and the greater part of South America. Breeds in the Arctic regions. Of 

 frequent occurrence in Europe. 



Occurrence in California. — Not common spring and fall migrant coastwise. 



Authorities. — Cooper {Actodromas maculata), Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. iv., 

 1868, p. 8 (San Francisco Bay) ; Bowles and Howell, Condor, vol. xiv., 1912, p. 8 (Santa 

 Barbara; migr. dates). 



THE AUTHORI- 

 TIES used to tell us that 

 the Pectoral Sandpiper 

 was "rare" or "casual" 

 anywhere along the 

 Pacific Coast. Well, per- 

 haps it was, or perhaps it 

 was merely overlooked. 

 Recent records, at least, 

 have tended to destroy 

 the earlier traditions of a 

 bird so rare that the lay- 

 man might never hope to 

 see it. The third record 

 for the State of California 

 was made by Bradford 

 Torrey 1 who saw birds at 

 Santa Barbara from Sep- 

 tember 17 to 23, 1909. 

 Mr. J. Hooper Bowles' 

 dates for 19 10 at the same 

 station were April 14th 

 and September 8th; and 

 for 191 1 (with Mr. A. B. 

 Howell), Aug. 18 to Sept. 



Photo by the Author 



A LITTLE DOUBTFUL 



20. The species was not detected in 1912, but I found it again on Aug. 

 20, 1913, in the Santa Barbara Estero; and again on the nth of October 

 at Elkhorn, in Monterey County, on the grounds of the Empire Gun Club. 



. l "Condor," Vol. XII.. Jan. 1910, pp. 44, 45. 



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