SUMMER ON THE MOORS 97 



of nesting - here. These clucks love sedgy rush-grown 

 waters, and Grindon lough is an ideal home for them, 

 since in summer it is almost choked with rank aquatic 

 vegetation. 



On both these occasions we enjoyed opportunity 

 to identify the birds, as they circled around, with 

 their distinctive croaking - quack. There are three other 

 entries of gadwall in my notes (two in Northumber- 

 land, one in Roxburghshire), but lacking sufficiently 

 clear evidence to justify insertion here. 



During the present summer, a pair of gadwalls are 

 reported to have nested in Peebleshfre, near Broughton, 

 and to have reared their brood {Field, July 28th, 1906). 



Shoveler. — Besides the above occurrences, noted 

 incidentally with the gadwalls, I have two or three 

 similar records — all about end of March. The shoveler 

 nests in limited numbers on both sides of the Border, 

 but especially on the Scottish side, owing to suitable 

 lochs being there more frequent. Besides the localities 

 named, it also breeds every year on Holy Island, where 

 there is a small reed-clad lough. The actual nest, how- 

 ever, is usually placed in growing hay-grass, at some 

 little distance from the water. I fear the eggs (laid by 

 the end of April) are taken every year by the islanders. 



Shovelers, wherever they are found breeding, are 

 strictly summer-migrants ; arriving in March, and never 

 seen after October. As a rule, as soon as the young- 

 can fly, shovelers leave this country — say, by August. 

 Those that are said to occur in winter (at which season 

 the author has not once met with this species) must 

 come from further north. 



Pintail. — This species must not be entirely omitted ; 

 for, though I have no note of it inland, yet it has 



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