The Wood Sandpiper — Totanus Glareola (J. F. Gmelin)
This species is a regular but somewhat scarce visitor to our shores on migration. In Ireland and the west it is extremely rare, but in the south-east corner of England it occurs in small numbers yearly, especially in autumn. Formerly a few pairs used to nest in one or two suitable localities, but they have long ceased to do so. In the west of Europe it does not breed south of the Baltic, but in the east it breeds in the valley of the Danube and also possibly in Northern Italy.
The nest is placed on the ground in a marshy spot, and when they have eggs or young the birds are extremely noisy if their haunts are invaded. In this country it is generally found on salt marshes near the sea and very rarely inland.
The sexes are alike: the back brown, spotted with white; upper tail coverts white; shafts of the quills dusky, except that of the outermost one, which is white. Under parts white, streaked with brown on the throat and breast, the flanks being barred with the same colour. Axillaries white. The young bird is similar, but the white spots are larger and more elongated, and the outer tail feathers are barred on both webs instead of on the outer one only. Length 8·5 in.; bill 1·1 in.; wing 5 in.