SOME BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTH UIST 189 



broods down the streams into the marshes on the low 

 ground. During the transit many of the young are lost, as 

 the Mallard seems quite content if one of her young follow, 

 leaving the others perhaps behind a stone wall or low turf 

 dyke. In fine weather the great majority of the Mallard went 

 out to the Atlantic during the day and flew in again at dusk. 



The Gadwall. This duck arrived in late October and 

 stayed on to April, but as far as I could see never nested. 

 In their habits they are very like the Wigeon and Pintail, 

 if unmolested they become very confiding, feeding in shallow 

 bogs on their favourite lochs quite close to people working 

 in the fields. 



The Teal. Teal are common, both as a breeding bird 

 and migrant ; they gather into large flocks during the winter, 

 betaking themselves to the sea lochs on the Minch side, where 

 they obtain good shelter ; they also frequent the inland waters. 



The Wigeon. Wigeon arrive in October and leave in 

 early April, some years a few stay all summer but I never 

 saw or heard of one nesting. They frequent the shallower 

 lochs where their favourite weed abounds and keep company 

 with the wild Swans, which help them greatly in getting the 

 weed from the bottom. 



The Shoveller. The Shoveller is far from common, 

 but a few breed ; as a rule, they keep company with the 

 Wigeon. They keep to the shore, although going inland 

 to nest, which they do in long dry grass and rushes, always 

 near a marsh, where they can take their young for safety. 



The Pintail. In the Hebrides, Pintail are not numer- 

 ous, they are more plentiful in Benbecula in the winter than 

 in South Uist, where, however, a few nest. Both the male 

 and female look after the brood and they take them right 

 on to the middle of the lochs at the least sign of danger, 

 quite different from the Mallard. 



The Pochard. a small flock of Pochard frequented a 

 small pond near my house every winter ; as we never inter- 

 fered with them they got very tame. 



The Scaup. A pair of Scaup nested near Grogarry, 

 South Uist, but the species is chiefly a winter visitor being 

 very numerous at that season. When flighting they move 



