Page:VCH Lancaster 1.djvu/254

 A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE VValney Island and along the shores of More- cambe Bay in May (Mitchell). 199. Oyster-Catcher. Hamatopm oitralegus, Linn. Locally, Sea Pie. A resident frequenting the entire shore line of the county ; it is specially abundant on Walney Island, where it breeds freely, as it does on the sandhills further south. 200. Avocet. Recurvirostra avccetta, Linn. A very rare visitor. It has occurred on Wal- ney Island and on the Ribble (Mitchell, Birds oj Lancashire, ed. 2, p. 217). 201. Grey Phalarope. Phalaridopus fulicarius (Linn.). An irregular autumn visitor. Mr. Macpherson records specimens from Walney Island and Win- dermere {Fauna of Lakeland, p. 368). 202. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaridopus hyper- boreus (Linn.). A very rare autumn and winter visitant to our estuaries. One is said to have been shot near Southport in 1832, and during the last ten years eight specimens have been brought to Mr. H. Murray, all shot on Carnforth and Martin Marshes. 203. Woodcock. Scolapax rusticula, Linn, An autumn visitor on migration, arriving in large numbers and remaining over the winter. It breeds in the northern districts of the county. 204. Great Snipe. Gallinago major (J. F. Gmelin). An autumn and winter visitor. It was first recorded as a British bird from this county. The specimen passed into Sir Ashton Lever's Museum, thence into the hands of an unknown purchaser on the dispersion of that celebrated collection. A specimen in the Lord Derby Museum, Liverpool, was shot by the late Edward J. S. Hornby, Esq., at Winwick, Lan- cashire. 205. Common Snipe, Gallinago ccelestis (Fren- zel). Locally, Heather-bleat. Resident and abundantly distributed over Lan- cashire, nesting in all suitable places. The resident flocks are largely augmented in numbers during winter by immigrant visitors. 206. Jack Snipe. Gallinago gallinula (Linn.). Locally, Indcock. A fairly abundant winter immigrant. 207. Dunlin. Tringa alptna, Linn. Locally, Sealark, Oxeye, Sea Mouse. A winter visitor frequenting in countless thousands the off-shore sandbanks along the coast ; some few annually remain to breed, and are known to do so in fair numbers on Carnforth and Martin Marshes. 208. Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler. A scarce spring and autumn visitor on migra- tion. 209. Temminck's Stint. Tringa temmincki, Leisler. A rare spring and autumn straggler on migra- tion, more rarely observed than the little stint, there being only a couple of records of its occur- rence ; but probably it is often unrecognized. 210. Curlew Sandpiper. Tringa subarquata (Galdenstadt). A fairly common spring and autumn visitant to our shores, occasionally travelling inland. 211. Purple Sandpiper. Tringa striata, hinn. An^ annual winter visitor, but far from common. 212. Knot. Tringa canutus, h'mn. Large flocks of knots annually visit More- cambe Bay and the Mersey and Ribble estuaries as spring and autumn migrants. 213. Sanderling. Calidris arenaria (Linn.). A spring and autumn visitor on migration to our off-shore sandbanks, often in very large flocks. 214. Ruff. Machetes pugnax (Linn.). A fairly common spring and autumn visitor. 215. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Tringites rufescens (Vieillot). Very rare straggler. Recorded only once, from Formby, in 1829. 216. Common Sandpiper. Tetanus hypoleucus (Linn.) Locally, Sand-snipe, Sand-lark, Willie Liltie. A summer immigrant which breeds on the Fells and uplands of the county, 217. American Spotted Sandpiper. Totanus macularius (Linn.). A North American species, of which four examples, well authenticated, have straggled into Lancashire in two closely set years, 1863 and 1865. 218. Wood Sandpiper. Totanus glareola (J. F. Gmelin). A rare autumn and winter straggler. 219. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus {JJmn!). A regular autumn visitor on migration to most of the inland streams. 220. Redshank. Totanus calidris (Linn.). An autumn and winter visitant, occasionally in large flocks ; but a few always reside through- 202