50 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



— the earliest record in thirty odd years. The pink 

 flowers of the burdocks are now coming" up through the 

 sand on the river-side, though the leaves do not appear 

 for some time yet. 



Api'il 17. — A woodcock's nest with four eggs in a 

 bare opening in the woods on Derwentwater. It was 

 among dead grass, with scattered briars and brackens 

 around — a mere scraping, with a few dead oak-leaves 

 beneath the eggs. The bird sat high, and her big full 

 eye was very conspicuous. Woodcocks nest more or less 

 sporadically throughout the Borderland, and young are 

 seen on wing by the first week in May. 



April 20. — This I regard as the standard date, in 

 average seasons, for the laying of the more important 

 moorland birds, to wit : Grouse, mallard, golden plover, 

 snipe, redshank, pied and grey wagtails, and stockdove. 



The following are a week or ten days later : Black- 

 game, curlew, teal, ring-ouzel, dunlin, black-backed and 

 black-headed gull. 



The curlews are not particular as to site. They nest 

 high out on the hills ; but grass or heather, long or short, 

 bare or dry ground or bog, all seem to suit them alike. 

 Even when the nest is among long heather, there is no 

 premeditated concealment. The curlew rather relies on 

 her vigilance and keen eye, and rarely sits close when 

 danger threatens, however distant; yet it is not difficult, 

 owing to her size and light colour, to find these nests if 

 one knows how to look for them. Her four eggs are 

 laid in the closing days of April, one or two being often 

 unfertile. The young curlews (rather ungainly creatures, 

 owing to their immense legs), do not leave the nest on 

 being hatched — as those of most of this genus do ; for, 

 although they may not be found actually in the nest, 



