5 
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘Ilmmonly ate them. It was considered a very sporting game bird to hunt 
     
     as well as a tasty delicacy. A hunter had to be both stealthy ard a 
     
     skillful shot to obtain enough for a couple of meals. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The conversion of prairie sod into agricultural land removed much of 
     
     the ideal Upland Sandpiper nesting habitat. In addition. the decline 
     
     of the passenger pigeon in North America caused wildlife gourmets to 
     
     switch to Upland Sandpipers to satisfy their yearnings for tasty game. 
     
     This increased demand increased prices and the destruction of Upland 
     
     Sandpipers began in earnest. Large numbers were netted and shot during 
     
     spring migration. In 1917 the Migratory Pirds Convention Act put a 
     
     stop to market gunning. But on the game eater's table, the Upland 
     
     Sandpiper replaced the Eskimo Curlew which had declined rapidly after 
     
     1875, and wholesale slaughter continued in all the settled areas of 
     
     their winter range. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Despite almost total protection today, Upland Sandpiper numbers remain 
     
     far below that of the 1900‘s primarily because it has adapted poorly 
     
     to agricultural habitats. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Upland Sandpiper breeds irregularly from Alaska across Canada and 
     
     south to Colorado and Virginia. It winters in the southern half of 
     
     South America. Currently the breeding range of this sandpiper is ex- 
     
     tending towards the northeast. There are several nesting records in 
     
     the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. 
     
    
   
   
    
     David Christie, curator from the New Brunswick Museum. sends the fol— 
     
     lowing report on its status in New Prunswick: 
     
    
   
   
    
     "In New Brunswick the bird has been a casual visitor during migra- 
     
     tion. both spring and fall. for half a century or more. The same 
     
     is probably true for Nova Scotia. rhere was an increase in spring 
     
     records in the late 1960's about which time it probably began 
     
     breeding in the province. Several birds were found in a field near 
     
     Salisbury (west of Houston) in the fall of 1969 and throughout the 
     
     1970 summer season. In 1971 young birds from two different broods 
     
     were found there and in 1974, a nest with eggs was found. Since 
     
     1971 birds exhibiting breeding behavior have been seen in June and 
     
     July in Penoboquis, southwest of Rexton. and near Midgic, as well 
     
     as in an area about 5 miles east of the known Salisbury breeding 
     
     elds . 
     
    
   
   
    
     0n Prince Edward Island, the Upland Sandpiper is known to occasionally 
     
     pass through during spring migration. There has been an unconfirmed 
     
     sighting for the fall but there are no previous nesting records for 
     
     Upland Sandpipers on Prince Edward Island. Hence. the observation of a 
     
     pair of Upland Sandpipers with young near St. Eleanor's by the Gil- 
     
     christs is an important record of their range extension. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Generally. the Upland Sandpiper is less common than it once was, but it 
     
     is not considered endangered. It seems to have stabilized at a safe 
     
     level which is considerably below the vast numbers that used to occur. 
     
     This sandpiper Joins the Cowbird and Bobolink as grassland species which 
     
     are slowly extending their range eastward and have recently arrived on 
     
     Prince Edward Island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     LITERATURE CITED: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bent. A. c. 1962 - Life Histories of North American Shorebirds 
     
     Peterson, R. I. 1947 - A Field Guide to the Birds 
     
     Salt. W. R. and A. I. Wilk. 1972 - The Birds of Alberta 
     
     Wallace, G. J. and H. D. lahan. 1976 - An Introduction 
     
     to Ornithology. 
     
     Kathy martin 
     
     Biology Department 
     
     University of Prince Edward ISland 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     I was telling another NBS member that I had seen large flocks : 
     
     cf geese flying westwardly on Dec. 11. She asked: ; 
     
     "Why west"? I replied: "Probably they were going to m 
     
     Borden to catch the ferry". "You should put that , 2 “ 
     
     in the newsletter", she said laughing merrily. w“ n~ 
     
    
   
   
    
     Margaret Mallett. Charlottetown