. Birds of Britain . wisting and turning onthe wing in graceful flight, preparatory to settling againon some rich feeding - ground. At times it is mostabsurdly tame, so that it is possible to walk right amonga flock, which will continue feeding or resting as thoughunaware of the presence of a stranger. Suddenly an in-dividual will sound the little alarm-note, and the whole flockwill rise as though governed by one mind, even those whowere asleep flying off in full possession of their facultiesas though they had been on the alert all the time. Insummer many leave us to nest in Northern Europe, w
. Birds of Britain . wisting and turning onthe wing in graceful flight, preparatory to settling againon some rich feeding - ground. At times it is mostabsurdly tame, so that it is possible to walk right amonga flock, which will continue feeding or resting as thoughunaware of the presence of a stranger. Suddenly an in-dividual will sound the little alarm-note, and the whole flockwill rise as though governed by one mind, even those whowere asleep flying off in full possession of their facultiesas though they had been on the alert all the time. Insummer many leave us to nest in Northern Europe, whileothers betake themselves to inland moors or salt marshesround the coast on which to breed. It cannot be called acommon nesting species with us, but it has been found insuitable places throughout the United Kingdom, becomingmore numerous in the north. The nest is a shallow scrape among heather, roughgrass, or some other cover, and during the nesting season the 324 DUNLIN Tringa alpinaWinter (above). Summer (below). The Dunlin male has a pretty little trill, which is generally uttered uuthe wing as he flies over the nest. The eggs are greenish white, spotted and blotched withreddish brown. The young when first hatched are coveredwith reddish down, mottled with black and white. In its winter dress the adult Dunlin is grey above andwliite below with a whitish bar across the extended spring the crown of the head is rufous, streaked withblack. Mantle black, with broad rufous margins ; the neckand throat white, streaked with black, breast black; bellywhite. The sexes are alike, the female being usuallyslightly the larger. Length about 75 in.; bill 17 in.;wing 4*5 in. This species, however, varies greatly in size. The young in autumn have the back nearly black, thefeathers having narrow buff and rufous margins; the underparts are white, buff across the breast, and thickly spotted,especially on the lower breast, with black. The amount ofspotting, however, as well as the colo
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdsgreatbritain
