The Birds of the Midland Lakes arid Bogs. 235 



breeding all over Ireland, in some counties locally, it is 

 exceedingly numerous where the shallower parts of lakes and 

 the Shannon are margined with large beds of flags and tall 

 rushes. Among these one finds its nests everywhere. On the 

 larger lakes Coots do not seem to lay until the end of May or 

 beginning of June, as their clutches are then usually incom- 

 plete. Where a rise had taken place in the waters of Lough 

 Ree, I found a nest containing a flooded ^gg built upon, and 

 another laid over it. 



The RiNGKD Pi^ovKR breeds in small numbers on most of the 

 lakes. I have observed it in the breeding season, or found its 

 eggs on ^"Lough Arrow, Lough Boderg (an expansion of the 

 Shannon in Leitrim), Lough Forbes (another expansion in 

 Longford), ^''Lough Sheelin, Lough Gowna, ^'Currygrane Lake, 

 Lough Ree, ^'Glen Lough, Lough Iron, -''Lough Derg, and 

 Lough Annagh ; and it is reported to breed in the Queen's 

 Co. by Mrs. Croasdaile. In these localities the Ringed Plover 

 lays in the end of May or beginning of June, and will sit on 

 three eggs, as I have found more than once. On the 9th June 

 I found young in down on the stony shore of Currygrane 

 Lake. The nests are hollows in the gravelly or pebbly shores. 

 On an island in Lough Sheelin I found a Ringed Plover's nest, 

 with eggs, at the foot of a willow bush, and overshadowed by 

 it ; but it was a characteristic hollow in the gravel without 

 lining, a nest of Common Sandpiper close by being comfort- 

 ably lined. The Ringed Plover is a spring and summer 

 visitant to the lakes, arriving on Lough Derg in February or 

 March. 



The Lapwing is a very common breeding bird throughout 

 the region w^e are treating of. Though reported to breed in 

 every Irish county, and numerouslj^ in most of them, one sees 

 a great increase when passing into these lake counties. I have 

 observ^ed Lapwings in May and June on Lough Erne, Castle 

 Irwin dam, Lough Arrow, Lough Allen, Lough Boderg, Lough 

 Forbes, Lough Gowna, Currygrane Lake, Lough Ree, Glen 

 Lough, Lough Iron, the Shannon " callows " near Banagher, 

 Lough Derg, Lough Annagh, and Granston marshes. On the 

 latter vast numbers of Lapwings were laying in the middle of 

 April. They usually have young able to fly the first week in 

 June. These, when squatting on the grass, lie with flattened 

 back and wings, their brown plumage making them look like 



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