The Bird Book Part 30

Range.--North America, breeding chiefly in the interior and eastern parts of Canada, and rarely in the upper Mississippi Valley. This species is very similar to the preceding, but is smaller; length 10.5 inches. It is also called the "Lesser Tell-tale," a name applied because of their wariness, and because, when they fly, they warn all other species within hearing, of danger. Their eggs are laid on the ground, and in similar localities to the preceding. They are three or four in number, grayish or buffy in color, and are quite heavily blotched and spotted with rich brown and grayish or lilac. Size 1.60 1.20.

Data.--Whale River, Labrador, June 14, 1902. Four eggs laid on the ground in a large marsh.

[Ill.u.s.tration 155: Grayish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Greater Yellow-legs. Yellow-legs.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buffy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 154

256. SOLITARY SANDPIPER. _Helodromas solitarius solitarius._

Range.--Eastern North America, breeding chiefly north of the United States boundary, but apt to be found nesting in any part of its range; winters south of the United States.

A bird with a greenish gray back, barred with white, and white below; length 8.5 inches. This species is one of the oddities among the waders.

They are most always met with, singly or in pairs, and are very rarely seen, even in very small flocks. Their preference is for small ponds or streams in wet woods or open meadows, rather than marshes which are frequented by other species. They are occasionally seen during the nesting season, even in the southern parts of their range, and they probably breed there although their eggs are very rarely found. The eggs are clay-colored, spotted with brownish black. Data.--Simco Island, Kingston, Ontario, June 10, 1898. 5 eggs in a shallow depression on the ground, lined with a few gra.s.ses.

[Ill.u.s.tration 156: Solitary Sandpiper.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Clay-colored.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: NEST OF SPOTTED SANDPIPER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 155

256a. WESTERN SOLITARY SANDPIPER. _Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus._

Range.--North America, west of the Plains; breeds in British Columbia and probably south of there, also.

This bird is like the last, except that the spots on the back are buffy instead of white. Its nest and eggs will not differ in any respect from those of the eastern form.

257. GREEN SANDPIPER. _Helodromas acrophus._

This species, which very closely resembles our Solitary Sandpiper, is common in the northern parts of the Old World. It has only accidentally strayed to our sh.o.r.es.

258. WILLET. _Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus._

Range.--Eastern United States, breeding north to the Middle States and occasionally straying to the Canadian border, especially in the Mississippi Valley.

These large waders are among the most abundant of the marsh or beach birds. They breed in small companies in marshes, frequently in those which are covered with water at high tide, building a frail nest of gra.s.ses and weeds, where it will be barely out of reach of the highest water. The three or four eggs have a brownish, or sometimes greenish, buff ground color and are blotched with umber, and have fainter markings of lilac. Size 2.00 1.50. Data.--Sandy Bank, South Carolina, May 3, 1901. Nest on the ground, secreted in the high gra.s.s. Made of dead marsh gra.s.s, lined with finer gra.s.ses.

[Ill.u.s.tration 157: Western Sandpiper. Willet.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 156

258a. WESTERN WILLET. _Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus._

Range.--Western North America, breeding north to Manitoba and British Columbia. Casually found on the South Atlantic coast during migrations.

A larger and paler form of the preceding species; length 15.5 inches.

The nesting habits are the same, and the eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the common Willet. Data.--Refugio, Texas, May 18, 1900. 4 eggs in a gra.s.s lined depression on the bay sh.o.r.e flat. Collector, J. W.

Preston.

259. WANDERING TATTLER. _Heteract.i.tis inca.n.u.s._

Range.--Pacific coast of North America, breeding from British Columbia northward.

This is a handsome species, uniform grayish above and white below, closely barred (in summer) with blackish. During the breeding season it is found on the rugged coasts and islands of Alaska, and casually south.

It breeds in the marsh gra.s.s near the sh.o.r.es and along the banks of streams.

260. RUFF. _Machetes pugnax._

A common European species, occasionally found on the Atlantic coast of North America. It is a species remarkable for its pugnacity during the mating season; in size and appearance it is about like the Upland Plover, with the exception of the "ruff" which adorns the neck and breast of the male bird.

261. UPLAND PLOVER. _Bartramia longicauda._

Range.--North America, chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains, breeding from middle United States, northward.

A handsome bird, 12 inches in length, generally known as the "Upland Plover," from its habit of frequenting dry side hills, where it feeds upon gra.s.shoppers and worms. It is a favorite bird with many sportsmen.

It builds a nest of gra.s.ses, on the ground in a tuft of gra.s.s in the middle of fields. The three or four eggs have a buff ground and are blotched with yellowish brown. Size 1.75 1.25. Data.--Stump Lake, N.

D., June 10, 1897. Nest of gra.s.s, lined with wool, under a tuft of gra.s.s left by the mower. Collector, Alf. Eastgate.

[Ill.u.s.tration 158: Wandering Tattler. Ruff. Upland Plover.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 157

[Ill.u.s.tration 159: Walter Raine.

NEST AND EGGS OF UPLAND PLOVER.]

Page 158

262. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. _Tryngites subruficollis._

Range.--Interior of North America, breeding from the Hudson Bay region to the Arctic coast.

A buffy colored species, with a peculiarly marbled back. Size 8.5 inches long. It is an upland species like the last. The nests are scantily lined depressions in the ground. The eggs have a grayish white ground and are boldly blotched with rich brown and chestnut with fainter markings of lilac. Size 1.45 1.05. Data.--Cape Smythe, Alaska, June, 1900. 4 eggs in a hollow in dry spot on a marsh. Collector, H. H.

Bodfish.

263. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. _Act.i.tis macularia._