LITTLE STINT.
TRINGJ MINUTA.
Tnornil the Littli' Stint appears, from tbc information given by certain writers concerning its distribution,
to be of not uncommon occurrence on even tbe north-eastern coast of Scotland, it is only in the southern
and eastern counties of England that it has conic under my observation in any numbers. On two or
three occasions I met with small parties in autumn on the sands at the mouth of the Tyne near Dunbar
in East Lothian, ntul early in June 1807 a flock of ten or twelve, flying north, skimmed past within
twenty yards of tbc boat halfway between North Sunderland and the Fern Islands. Though several
years were spent on the coasts of Ross-shire, Sutherland, and the adjoining counties, much time being
passed on the shores of the various firths and muddy harbours, I failed to identify a single individual
of this species.
While arrayed in its summer dress, the rich chestnut and warm brown tints on the back contrasting
with the snowy white of the underparts render the little bird as it Hits over the mudflats or runs by
the water-side especially attractive. In this plumage the visitors to our shores are but few in number:
I have, however, occasionally noticed small parties of two or three birds on the saltings near Shoreham
all through May, and a pair were obtained in the harbour in the first week of June 1880. On llreydnn
flats flocks numbering from three or four to ten or a dozen are commonly to be seen from lite middle
to the latter cud of May, all at this season exhibiting the finest plumage*. Baring the spring of 1870
and the following year I bad ample opportunities for watching the habits of these active little Waders:
towards the close of the latter season they were especially plentiful; on the -lith of May several small
parties appeared on the flats shortly after daybreak, followed towards midday by a flock of at least
twenty birds. At this time of year our visitors usually remain but a few hours on the flats, evidently
intent on making their way towards the far north.
Though the Little Stint usually frequents mudflats where the water is salt, a few birds occasionally
make their appearance inland during summer and autumn. Marly in 1870, after a long continuation
of dry weather, the water on [tickling Broad, in the cast of Norfolk, fell exceedingly low, large masses
of grern need usually submerged being exposed to view. For several days front the 0th a parly of
twelve or fourteen Utile Stints, in the brightest plumage, were to lie seen alighting on the patches of
weed round the edges of the broad, where they eagerly searched for foodf. For the meal part
the Stints were observed by themselves, though they occasionally joined in company with parlies of
Dunlins and Wood-Sandpipers, the whole of these small Waders having doubtless been attracted by
the unusual extent of feeding-gr.imid left dry by the falling water. A few stragglers al-o show themselves
• Unlike the Knot. flodwit, Grey cI.imt, rent Curlew Siiinl[ii(icr, I bare never at ill Is time ,pf year remarked 5|«ciiuena in I ha.- gull of winter
-.i ihwwiaf tUe clnuuw uf ]duuiinpe.
t TUt ii Ike only iiuuuicc that Ml mat under my nolkr of Stint* nauiuuuj f..r any length of lime m one K ilnj „i ihi. .,....„,.