268 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



THE BIRDS OF RENFREWSHIRE. 



By John Robertson and T. Thornton Mackeith. 

 {Concluded from page 250.) 



The *Shoveler has occurred in small numbers on many of the 

 inland sheets of water and regularly on the estuary. A pair or two 

 nest each year at Castle-Semple Loch. That most graceful of Ducks, 

 the Pintail, occurs irregularly in small numbers. Single birds have 

 been obtained at Nether Pollok, Balgray, and Eaglesham. Pairs 

 have been observed in May, twice on the Little Loch and once at 

 Dunwan Dam. On loth January 1909, Mackeith saw two males on 

 Loch Libo, and on 14th January 19 14, Mr Thomas Malloch noted 

 four males and four females on the Clyde at Langbank, where the 

 bird had occasionally been obtained in previous years. The *Teal 

 is common. The Wigeon is numerous from autumn to spring, 

 considerable flocks occurring on many of our inland waters. A few 

 birds have been known to remain on Castle-Semple Loch all 

 summer. A cream-coloured example is recorded from Kilmacolm 

 {Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc, New Series, Glasgow, vii., p. 97). 



Of the Diving Ducks, the Pochard is common in most years, 

 and abundant in some, from autumn to spring, on the lochs and 

 reservoirs. Mr M 'Arthur recalls an evening in the autumn of 

 1872, when the greater part of Castle-Semple Loch "was grey with 

 Pochards." Not one remained next morning. Loch Libo is a 

 favourite haunt, where Mackeith has seen 220 birds in one flock. 

 Though not known to nest in the county, it has been seen frequently 

 in summer at Balgray. The *Tufted Duck is common, nesting 

 by all suitable sheets of water. In winter, flocks sometimes of 

 several hundreds congregate on the larger inland waters as well 

 as on the estuary. The Scaup-duck in winter is, at times, the 

 commonest Duck in the estuary. Occasionally a few have been 

 seen inland, as at Balgray in 1896, when several remained during 

 the summer. One of these was a wounded bird unable to fly, and 

 possibly the others remained out of sympathy. The Golden-eye is 

 a common winter visitor to the estuary, as well as to many inland 

 waters, in small parties up to about fourteen birds. In our experi- 

 ence, adult males occur in the proportion that we should expect, 

 and are not so uncommon as some other districts report. Of the 

 Long-tailed Duck we know of only one occurrence, and that 

 inland, an immature bird shot at Eaglesham on 24th October 1906. 



