NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF ETTRICK 25 



CARRION CROW, Corvus corone. Common. 



ROOK, Corvus fnigilegus. Abundant. 



SKYLARK, Alatida arvensis. Abundant. 



KINGFISHER, Alcedo ispida. One seen on the river in 1895 at 

 Carterhaugh. 



CUCKOO, Cuatlus canorus. A few birds. 



BARN OWL, Strix flammea. My friend Mr. Alexander Sturrock, 

 Craigmillar Park, informs me that he has seen this bird in 

 Newark Tower. 



LONG-EARED OWL, Asia otus. Common. 



SHORT-EARED OWL, Asia accipitrinus. During the years (1891-93) 

 of the Vole Plague this beautiful and useful bird was abundant 

 over the stricken area from Singlie to the watersheds. But with 

 the entire subsidence in 1893 of the great wave of vole life, the 

 bird almost entirely disappeared. In normal conditions of 

 food supply it is very scarce in the district, though never 

 entirely absent. I have not seen it every year: only occasionally. 

 A permanent haunt is the grassy slopes near Clearburn Loch, 

 and the haughs and hillsides from Tushielaw to the mouth of 



o 



Tima. A fine bird was flushed last June in the latter area, out 

 of a plantation on Annelshope, where it had been sitting on the 

 ground at the side of a decaying Scotch fir-branch. 



TAWNY OWL, Syrnium aluco. Common in all the larger woods. 

 COMMON BUZZARD, Biiteo vulgaris. Occasionally seen. 

 SPARROW HAWK, Accipiter nisus. A few pairs. 



PEREGRINE FALCON, Falco peregrinus. Once seen flying in a south- 

 easterly direction. 



MERLIN, Falco tzsalon. A pair nested yearly, up till within the last 

 six or seven years, on the face of a heathery brae on the farm 

 of Wester Deloraine. 



KESTREL, Falco tinnunculus. Another bird which appeared in great 

 numbers during the vole period and disappeared with the vole, 

 except a few pairs. At present nearly every well-grown wood 

 holds a pair, and two or three may be seen during a drive of 

 an hour or two. 



COMMON HERON, Ardea cinerea. One or two seen on the occasion 

 of every visit. I am informed that a few pairs nest at Thirle- 

 stane. 



MALLARD, Anas boscas. A few pairs always nest. 



PINTAIL DUCK, Dafila aaita. I saw a pair many years ago in the 

 hands of Mr. Hope, birdstuffer, George Street, Edinburgh, 

 which he informed me had been shot on the small lake in 

 Bowhill grounds. 



