The Dunlin — Tringa Alpina, Linnæus
Of all our shore-birds the Dunlin, or, as it is sometimes called, the Ox-bird, is the most numerous. At all times of the year and round all our coasts it may be seen running about and feeding on the animal life to be found among the rocks or in the soft muddy ooze recently left by the ebbing tide. It is almost always found in flocks, which are often made up of thousands of individuals, and when disturbed from one place they may be seen twisting and turning on the wing in graceful flight, preparatory to settling again on some rich feeding-ground. At times it is most absurdly tame, so that it is possible to walk right among a flock, which will continue feeding or resting as though unaware of the presence of a stranger. Suddenly an individual will sound the little alarm-note, and the whole flock will rise as though governed by one mind, even those who were asleep flying off in full possession of their faculties as though they had been on the alert all the time. In summer many leave us to nest in Northern Europe, while others betake themselves to inland moors or salt marshes round the coast on which to breed. It cannot be called a common nesting species with us, but it has been found in suitable places throughout the United Kingdom, becoming more numerous in the north.
The nest is a shallow “scrape” among heather, rough grass, or some other cover, and during the nesting season the male has a pretty little trill, which is generally uttered on the wing as he flies over the nest.
The eggs are greenish white, spotted and blotched with reddish brown. The young when first hatched are covered with reddish down, mottled with black and white.
In its winter dress the adult Dunlin is grey above and white below with a whitish bar across the extended wing. In spring the crown of the head is rufous, streaked with black. Mantle black, with broad rufous margins; the neck and throat white, streaked with black, breast black; belly white. The sexes are alike, the female being usually slightly the larger. Length about 7·5 in; bill 1·7 in.; wing 4·5 in. This species, however, varies greatly in size.
The young in autumn have the back nearly black, the feathers having narrow buff and rufous margins; the under parts are white, buff across the breast, and thickly spotted, especially on the lower breast, with black. The amount of spotting, however, as well as the colour of the breast, varies greatly in individuals.