Page:Condor14(1).djvu/9

 3an., 1912 THE SHORE BIRDS OF SANTA BARBARA 9 Pisobia minutilla. Least Sandpiper. Abundant from late July until late March, though much less numerous in winter. July 18 to April 1, 1910. It seems strange that this, the smallest of the order, should be one of the few that remain to winter with us. One frequently finds single birds, or two or three together, pattering around the wet kelp on the ocean beach, often waiting 'to examine an intruder .from under the very feet of the latter before taking wing. Pelidna alpina sakhalina. Red-backed Sandpiper. Occurs in both spring and fall, but is never very common. Spring: March 10, 1910, to April 20, 1911. Fall, September 9 to November 23, 1911. A female was taken September 9, 1910, in almost full nuptial dress, after which none were n6ted until the 18th, when one was seen in winter plumage. It it hard to understand why these birds do not winter with us here, since Mr. Bowles found it nothing unusual to see them in winter in the vicinity of Tacoma, Washington. Ereunetesmauri. Western Sandpiper. Very abundant spring and fall mi- grant. Spring: February 28, 1910, to May 16, 1911. Fall: July 11, 1910, to Decem- ber 5, 1909. Sometimes these little gleaners fairly swarm ifi their favorite haunts, and it is a beautiful sight, when some Marsh Hawk in search of mice flaps over them, to see the whole flock rise as one bird ,nd go through precise evolutions of wheeling and fleeing up the shore, all the time twittering blithely. Calidris leueophaea. Sanderling. Abundant winter resident of Santa Barbara, but for some reason not common at Carpenteria or Goleta. Earliest arrival July 29, 1910; last seen May 26, 1911, when most were in nuptial dress. One collected August 25, 1911, was still in breeding plumage. In spite of their numbers it is only by the rarest chance that we see any of these little fellows on the mud fiats, for all of their time is spent on the ocean beaches. Frequently they may be found sunning themselves on the warm, dry sand, with a large company of Snowy Plo- vers, but their most characteristic occupation is chasing the retreating waves oceanward after stranded sandfleas, and in their turn being chased back up the beach by the incoming breakers. Limosa fedoa. Marbled Godwit. Common fall migrant, but rather rare in spring and summer. Fall: August 20 to November 1, 1911. Although .local resi- dents have reported them occasionally in spring and ummer, we have not seen them at those seasons excepting a single bird June 15, 1911. This one was ex- ceedingly tame and, although well able to fly, remained on the beach for several days in company with the gulls. Totanus melanoleucus. Greater Yellow-legs. Regular, but not common, spring and fall migrant. Rare in winter. Spring: March 20, 1911, to May 16, 1910. Fall: July 18, 1910, to January 2, 1911. A female shot August 29 was the only one noted by us this fall until October 14. Contrary to custom she was in an untalka- tive frame of mind. Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus. Western Solitary Sandpiper. Rare spring migrant, and usually not at all common in fall. Spring: one seen April 30, 1910. Fall: July 22, 1910, to September 7, 1911. The Solitary Sandpiper,' more than any other shore bird, is inclined to restrict itself to the grassy mud flats and wet meadows, in fact we have never seen it on the ocean beach or open flats. This species, and the Spotted Sandpiper also, will sometimes dive and swim under water when wounded, using the wings as propellers in the same manner as do the ducks. Catoptrophorus semipahnatus inornatus. Western Willet. Rare in spring migration, but very common in the fall; casual in summer, one seen by Mr. Torrey on June 24, 1910. Spring: April 16, 1910. Fall: July 25, 1911 (Torrey) to Novem-