142 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL IHSTORV 



DISTRIl^L'TION OF THE WOODCOCK IX THE 

 CENTRAL DISTRICTS OF THE FORTH 

 AREA IX THE SPRIXG OF 1908 



P,y J. A. Harvie Brown, F.R.S.E., F.Z.S. 



During this spring of 1908 a careful eye as usual has been 

 kept upon the numbers of Woodcock nesting in our coverts 

 in Central Scotland. Nothing abnormal occurred or was 

 reported until the i6th May. Then, it was told: Wood- 

 cock appeared in quite exceptionally large numbers in several 

 of the woods usually frequented by the birds in the nesting 

 season. Gamekeepers searching for and "lifting" pheasants' 

 eggs, reported unusual numbers of Woodcocks rising singly 

 or in pairs, as was the case also in 1902, after similarly 

 severe spring weather, and when, it may be remembered — 

 when repeated, — that quite an abnormal quantity were dis- 

 covered nesting. In 1903 and 1904 only the usual number 

 of pairs were found nesting, but in 1905 again still larger 

 numbers were known to have nested all over the central 

 counties of Scotland, and especially in the west of the 

 county of Stirlingshire and also within the " CLYDE " area. 



No fewer than 65 nests were found on one property, and 

 45 on the next, and quite a number even on the island of 

 the Lesser Cumbrae. The statistics for all the Clyde 

 area have been most minutely w^orked out and plotted on 

 large scale maps by the Messrs. Buchanan for that year, 

 viz. 1905. 



The first phenomenal, or unusual, appearance of the 

 birds in the central districts of Stirlingshire was in May 

 1902, and at the same time equally great numbers of 

 Snipe nested in favourable localities wnthin the same area. 

 The Woodcocks succeeded in hatching off and rearing their 

 late broods of young ones, as they had better shelter in the 

 coverts ; but the Snipe sustained great losses, and many 

 young were found dead within a few feet of the broken egg- 

 shells in the open.-^ That year 1902 — it should be remem- 



^ These birds not having availed themselves of better shelter, but principally 

 occupying dry ground of a knoll facing the north-east. 



