Ice-bound on Kolguev : a chapter in the exploration of Arctic Europe to which is added a record of the natural history of the island . and since that time their eggs have beentaken nearer home. But never in England. Sonaturally I looked at this little bird with much in-terest. And we saw many dunlins. The dunlin is anotherof our waders, but it nests with us. They were flyingup into the air and making a noise, as they slantinglydescended like big grasshoppers. This is one of theircourtship practices, and may be compared to the drum-ming of snipe. The turnstone, too, was here in his lovely nesti
Ice-bound on Kolguev : a chapter in the exploration of Arctic Europe to which is added a record of the natural history of the island . and since that time their eggs have beentaken nearer home. But never in England. Sonaturally I looked at this little bird with much in-terest. And we saw many dunlins. The dunlin is anotherof our waders, but it nests with us. They were flyingup into the air and making a noise, as they slantinglydescended like big grasshoppers. This is one of theircourtship practices, and may be compared to the drum-ming of snipe. The turnstone, too, was here in his lovely nestingplumage and his orange-red legs. We do not oftensee him in such fine feathers in this country. A largeproportion of those we have here in late summer or earlyautumn are young birds with more sober colouring, andthe old birds then are fading too. For the turnstonedoes not nest with us. It just gives us a look in whenpassing north in May, and then later on its return lovely bird has a far more elaborate song than thatof any other wader I know. You really may call it asong—I put it down at the time as Chewah, chewah,. wz $ OUR FIRST LANDINGS 43 cheweekT, ki-kT-ki kee kee—and he sings it con amove,from any little mound. And we came on a fine playing place of the ruff. Inthe Cromwell Road Museum is a glass case in which thescene is capitally represented—for a drama of silent think it is really one of the most astonishing perform-ances, more striking by far than the blackcocks lekking,because the bird is so small and so grotesque in appear-ance. And though they are reducible to some dozentypes or so, there are never two exactly alike. How-ever, we have done our best to drive them from theirhomes in England, and have succeeded far too well. We saw many pairs of grey plover, and much to mysurprise, either none of golden, or but one pair aboutwhich I was doubtful. A pair of large waders flew wildly off. I thoughtthem godwits, but was not sure. Long-tailed ducks
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnatural, bookyear1895
