REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I917 155 



Plover, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Chaffinch, Oystercatcher 

 (first egg, Foula, 19th May ; Swona, 20th May), Puffins, 

 Terns, and Corncrakes all with eggs. On 24th May a pair 

 of Pintail, the male in splendid plumage, were seen on a 

 small pond in North Uist. 



In June we have records of nesting in our Northern 

 Isles; from Whalsay Skerries on 2nd June comes this note, 

 " Terns now busy nesting, nests with one or two eggs in every 

 direction; Eider, a number of nests; Black Guillemots and 

 Oystercatchers, a few nests ; Puffins, a considerable number 

 found on the rock"; from Sule Skerry we hear that Puffins' 

 eggs were found considerably sooner this year than last. 

 Swona has Black Guillemots' eggs on the 2nd, and a Fulmar's 

 on the Island of Switha, on the 3rd. A party of Crossbills, 

 old and young, the latter being fed, were seen near Dingwall 

 on the 5th, and on the 7th Sheldrake and young were seen 

 on the Dornoch Firth. A pair of Lesser Redpolls hatched 

 out two broods in the garden of Cromarty Lighthouse, in 

 a small apple-tree; unfortunately both were killed. As the 

 month advances the later nesting birds become more 

 numerous, Spotted Flycatchers, Sandwich Terns, and 

 Corn-buntings being among the number. On 12th June 

 several Lapwings' nests were found on the overturned sods 

 of a potato-field near Largo : the field had only been 

 grubbered a few days before, so the birds must have 

 lost no time in nest-building. On the same day, in the 

 same field, a Meadow-pipit's nest with four young birds 

 and a Cuckoo's egg was found. On 28th June young Red 

 Grouse were on the wing at Darvel ; Merlin and Peregrine 

 too are reported to have brought off their young successfully ; 

 and on the last day of the month reports come from Mull 

 of a Merganser's nest with ten eggs, an Oystercatcher's 

 nest with two newly hatched young, and many young 

 Common Gulls in the downy stage. 



By July even the late nesters had young, and we have 

 notes from the Outer Hebrides of Red-necked Phalaropes, 

 Hen-harriers, various species of Terns and Duck, all 

 breeding on 4th July. From Mull, too, come records of 

 Buzzards, Sparrow-hawks, Ptarmigan, Shags, Storm-petrels, 



