BIRDS 



230. American Stint. Tringa minutil/a, 



Vieillot. 

 Only three specimens of the American 

 stint have occurred in the British Islands, one 

 of which was shot on 10 October 1853 °" 

 the shore of Mount's Bay in Cornwall. The 

 other two were obtained in north Devon, the 

 first of them on 22 September 1869 on 

 Northam Burrows, and the second on 22 

 August 1892 at the same place. 



231. Temminck's Stint. Tringa temmincki, 



Leisler. 

 Three specimens of this small stint were 

 obtained in Devonshire early in the last 

 century, but none recently. Colonel Montagu 

 had a specimen which was shot in November 

 on a salt marsh near the sea in south Devon. 

 Two were shot 28 June 1837, near Stone- 

 house Bridge, and were in Bolitho's collection 

 when Dr. E. Moore wrote his ' Catalogue of 

 the Wading Birds of Devonshire ' {Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. 1837, p. 320). The Rev. Murray 

 Mathew felt certain he had twice seen this 

 stint in winter on Braunton Burrows. 



232. Curlew-Sandpiper. Tringa subarquata 



(Goldenstadt) 

 A passing visitor in spring and autumn, of 

 frequent occurrence in small flocks, at the 

 latter season, on the mud banks of our larger 

 estuaries and on the sandy shores of the sea 

 coast, both in the north and south of the 

 county. It used to be not uncommon on the 

 estuary of the Exe in September, and was 

 especially numerous on the Taw. It is 

 occasionally plentiful on the Kingsbridge 

 estuary from August to September, and is not 

 very rare at Plymouth in September and 

 October, where it sometimes remains through- 

 out the winter in small numbers. Specimens 

 in full breeding plumage have been frequently 

 obtained, and a pair in their bright-red 

 summer dress was shot on Lundy Island in 

 June. A few are sometimes seen at the end 

 of May by the side of the Bude Reservoir. 



233. Purple Sandpiper. Tringa striata, hinn. 

 A winter visitor in small parties, frequenting 



the rocky parts of the south coast, arriving 

 annually in October or the beginning of 

 November and remaining until the end of 

 May, when it is just beginning to assume its 

 breeding dress. It is not often met with in 

 north Devon, but is said to have occurred on 

 Lundy Island occasionally. 



234. Knot. Tringa canutus, Linn. 

 Locally, Silver Plover (on the Exe). 



A passing visitor in spring and autumn, 



most numerous at the latter season when flocks 

 visit our estuaries from August to October, the 

 greater part remaining only for a few weeks, 

 but some continue throughout the winter on 

 the south coast. The specimens obtained in 

 autumn are generally in immature plumage, 

 but examples in the rich red summer dress 

 are sometimes met with both in spring and 

 autumn. The late Mr. Henry Nicholls shot 

 a white-plumaged knot on the Kingsbridge 

 estuary on 16 September 1863. 



235. Sanderling, Calidris arenaria (Linn.) 

 Principally a passing visitor to the coasts and 



estuaries in spring and autumn, though large 

 flocks are sometimes seen in winter, and on 

 the sands at Bantham and Thurlestone sander- 

 lings have been obtained in every month of 

 the year. It occurs in every stage of plumage. 



236. RuflF. Machetes pugnax (Linn.) 



A casual visitor of occasional occurrence, 

 generally in autumn and winter, and rarely in 

 spring. A few ruiFs and reeves have been 

 obtained in full breeding plumage, but the 

 greater part of those shot in Devonshire are 

 either birds of the year or adults in winter 

 garb. Examples have been obtained on Dart- 

 moor, but it is on the estuaries or in the 

 neighbourhood of the sea coast that the ruff is 

 most frequently met with. A small flock 

 consisting of birds of both sexes visited 

 Thurlestone Ley in the autumn of 1899, and 

 again in May 1900. 



237. BufF-breasted Sandpiper. Tringites 



rufescens (Vieillot) 

 The only undoubted Devonshire example 

 of this American sandpiper was shot on Lundy 

 Island in the autumn of 1858. 



238. Common Sandpiper. Totanus hypoleucus 



(Linn.) 



Locally, Summer Snipe, Otterling (on the Exe, 

 perhaps in allusion to its diving habits 

 when wounded). 



A common summer migrant arriving in 

 April and departing about the middle of 

 October. A few stragglers occasionally 

 remain throughout the winter. On their first 

 arrival small flocks frequent our estuaries, but 

 soon leave for the higher ground, and may be 

 seen in pairs on the upper waters of the 

 Okement, Avon and other Dartmoor streams 

 during the summer. The eggs are laid in 

 May, and the nest has been frequently found. 

 In July it forsakes the moors and descends to 

 the creeks and shores of tidal estuaries, where 

 small flocks of old and young remain till their 

 departure for the season. 



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