Whimbrel.
Scobpax phaopus, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 60.
— borealis, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 654.
Numenius phaopus, Lath. Ind. Om., vol. ii. p. 711.
— minor, Leach, Syst. Cat. of Indig. Mainm. and Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 32.
hudsonicus, Lath. Ind. Om., vol. ii. p. 712.
:— islandicus, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., p. 610.
Phaopus arquatus, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xii. p. 36.
W h im b b e l s usually arrive in England in the early part of May, and disperse themselves along our coasts,
particularly those o f the eastern counties; they are then on their passage northwards; but a few remain to
breed on the moors o f Scotland, and perhaps on those of the northern parts of England a lso ; but if any
nests be found in our southern counties, the circumstance must be regarded as quite exceptional.
Still it cannot be denied that a few remain and winter with us. On the Continent, the high lands
o f Norway, Sweden, Lapland, and Iceland are, among others, favourite breeding-localities.
Its range over the Old World is very extensive; for, besides occurring in all parts of Europe, Mr. Edward
Vernon Harcourt includes it in his ‘ L ist of the Birds o f Madeira;’ Mr. F. du Cane Godman states that it is
occasionally met with on the coasts o f the Azores; it is found all over Africa from north to so u th ; according
to Mr. Jerdon it is very generally dispersed over India, and is supposed to go to Java, China, and Japan ;
indeed its range is probably even still more extensive; but it is not found in America, neither does it
frequent Australia.
Mr. Stevenson’s account o f the Whimbrel as observed by him in Norfolk being equally descriptive of the
bird in other localities, I quote it in his own words The Whimbrel visits us regularly iu spring and
autumn, on its passage to and from its breeding-grounds; and though a few may be seen occasionally
in March or April, the appearance of the main body in May on the Breydon and Blakeney muds is so invariable
that the species is always spoken o f as the ‘ May-Bird ’ by the gunners in both localities. Their
numbers, as with all migratory shore-birds, vary much in different seasons; but at times they are very
plentiful, as was particularly the case in the spring of 1863. Of these, the chief portion pass on to the
northward after a few days ; but small parties may be seen on different parts o f the coast up to the middle
o f June, and even as late as July. At Hunstanton, in 1863, I found one or two small flocks frequenting the
mussel-scalps up to the second week in J u n e ; and Mr. Dowell has observed them a t Blakeney, in two or
three different seasons, between the 25th and 30th o f July, ‘not paired off, but keeping together in “ herds”
o f from eight to ten,’ m ost probably birds which would neither breed here nor elsewhere during that summer.
By the end of August o r beginning o f September, old and young together have again commenced their
southward jo u rn ey ; but the numbers theu seen are but few in comparison with the spring flight. In
Mr. Dowell’s notes I find no mention o f this bird having been observed by him a t Blakeney later than the
first week in October; and Mr. F. Frere describes them as always scarce in autumn at Breydon, and rarely,
if ever, seen during the winter months. Mr. Lubbock speaks of this species as having been occasionally
very numerous a t Horsey, visiting the marshes in considerable flocks in April and May; and in describing
the habits of the bird he says:— ‘ They are far more easy of access than the Curlews, and when disturbed
make shorter flights, removing only from one marsh to another, instead of rising high in the air and forsaking
the district altogether, as the Curlew generally does. They have a clattering confused cry in flight, which
baffles any imitation by the human voice.’ This cry, however, according to Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear,
resembles the sounds ‘ Weddy, tetty, tetty, tetty t e t ’ quickly repeated.”
In confirmation o f his assertion that these birds are very plentiful at some seasons more than at others,
Mr. Stevenson refers to Mr. Cordeaux’s statement, in the ‘ Zoologist,’ that a flock of a t least two hundred
appeared in the Humber district about the 3 rd o f May, and th at on the 13th of May, 1868, he counted
up to sixty-one in one flock, and saw another containing not less than double th at number; and when
speaking of their diminished numbers in autumn, he remarks that Mr. Cordeanx has noticed that in Lincolnshire,
during the months of August and September 1866, the Whimbrels were seen in small parties,
passing overhead at a considerable height, constantly repeating their call-note and flying in a south or southwesterly
direction. Mr. Cordeaux also states, from his observation o f the bird in the same county, that
the Whimbrel is far more of a land-bird than the Curlew, feeding almost exclusively in marshes, and