664 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS, 



stripes on crown, and is too wary to allow a close approach. One 

 of the commonest shore -birds at all times of year, walldng sedately 

 at edge of tide or on sandbanks and mud-flats, picking up food or 

 thrusting its bill up to the base in soft ooze. In late summer 

 reinforced by influx from nesting -grounds on bogs, moorlands and 

 rushy upland pastures, and later by oversea immigrants. A 

 bubbling love-song is uttered as bird hovers or sails on motionless 

 wings over nesting-ground. Calls are a shrill " cour-lie," a loud 

 musical " quoy, quoy " and a screaming " kly-ike," and, when young 

 are threatened a frenzied scream, " whi-shishi." 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts rough pastures, moorlands and 

 marshes. Nest. — Hollow in ground, sometimes open, at others 

 sheltered by rough grass, heather, etc., and lined with dry grasses. 

 Eggs. — Normally 4, occasionally 3 only and rarely 5, large, pyri- 

 form, varying from olive to greyish-green blotched or spotted with 

 brown, exceptionally almost white. Average size of 100 eggs, 

 67.2x47.4. Max. : "75.5x55. Min. : 56.2x44 and 61x43 mm. 

 Breeding -season. — Usually from last fortnight April to early May, 

 but also at times early in April. Incubation. — Shared by sexes. 

 Period 30 days. Single brooded. 



Food — Varied according to habitat : Mollusca, including 

 Cardium, Tellina, Bythinia, Mytilus and inland, snails (Helix 

 aspersa, H. nemoralis, etc.) and slugs ; also Crustacea (small 

 crabs) ; rock-pool fishes, such as Blennies ; small frogs and 

 worms (lug- worm and earthworms). Also when inland insects and 

 larvae ; diptera (Tipulidae and larvae), larvae of lepidoptera, orthop- 

 tera (Aclieta), rhynchota (Notonecta) and coleoptera (Pterostichus, 

 Rhizotragus, Anisoplia, Dytiscus, Scarabceus, Aphodius, Harpalus, 

 Zabrus). Also berries (seeds of Polygonum, berries of Empetnim 

 and V actinium, etc.), grasses and sea-weed (Ulva). 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident ; to what extent breeding 

 birds are migratory is uncertain but ringing records indicate a 

 westerly movement to Ireland and west coast Scotland. Breeding 

 haunts are reached early March and fully populated by beginning 

 April ; departure begins mid-July and desertion is complete by 

 end August. Passage -migrant (early March to early June and 

 mid -Aug. to mid -Nov.), and winter -visit or and occasionally summer 

 on all coasts. Breeds sparingly Lines., Norfolk, Surrey, Dorset, 

 Somerset, Wilts, and Hants, (exceptionally Sussex), more freely 

 Devonian peninsula, commonly Wales and neighbouring counties, 

 and from Staffs, and Derbyshire northwards on high ground (as 

 well as on low ground in Yorks.). Also Isle of Man. In Scotland 

 breeds generally and commonly, except O. Hebrides, where nesting 

 not proved. In Ireland breeds all provinces. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in Scandinavia, Prussia, from 

 Kirghiz Steppes, north and south Germany (Bavaria), Switzerland, 

 Austria, Galizia to Dobrogea, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and in 



