SNOW BUNTING 1659 



rest in depressions that presumably the buntings themselves scratch 

 out. 



Exposed nests are exceptional. Watson noted one "open to the 

 sky" in a hollow between a shrub and a boulder on Baffin Island. 

 Of three that MacDonald and I found on Ellesmere, one was between 

 two hummocks on the tundra far from rocks or mud mounds, and 

 two were on narrow rock ledges. The tops of all three were com- 

 pletely open and exposed. We found several others in shallow 

 sandstone niches that were partially exposed, but not from above. 



The rather large, loosely constructed, thick-walled nest is composed 

 chiefly of dry grasses, sometimes partially or mainly of mosses, 

 lichens, roots, or leaves. A considerable amount of grass often 

 projects from its sides, adding to its bulky appearance. In some 

 localities it is characteristically sandy, in others it may contain bits 

 of mud. The deep nest cup is variously lined, thickly or thinly, 

 with finer dry grasses, rootlets, occasionally downy willow seeds, 

 and invariably with one or more kinds of feathers or fur. White 

 ptarmigan feathers are commonly used, also feathers of jaegers, 

 gulls, and snowy owls. The fur of dogs, arctic foxes, lemmings, and 

 hares, and the coarse guard hairs and soft wool of the musk ox have 

 all been reported. No doubt the birds find suitable the feathers 

 and fur of any other species at hand. 



The buntings sometimes re-use their old nests, though this phe- 

 nomenon has not been widely reported. Watson found a nest on 

 Baffin Island with two linings, the older one from the previous year. 

 Two active nests MacDonald and I found on EJlesmere Island were 

 old ones lined afresh, with the bases of the old structures still frozen 

 to the ground when found. This re-use of old nests is probably not 

 related so much to the shortness of the breeding season as to the 

 lack of good, perhaps preferred nest sites in certain situations. The 

 common occurrence of several old unoccupied nests in some nesting 

 areas, however, attests the frequent abundance of nest sites. 



A nest Sutton and I found on Baffin Island, started on June 15, 

 was ready for lining June 19; by June 20 much hair had been added, 

 by June 22 feathers had also been added and the first egg laid. Watson 

 reports another Baffin Island nest built and lined in 4 days and the 

 first egg laid on the 5th day. The brief time of 14 hours with the 

 first egg laid the 2nd day Joseph S. Dixon (1943) reports for nest 

 building at an Alaskan site must be exceptional. G. T. Kay (1944) 

 reports captive birds taking up to 6 days. Tinbergen notes that 

 females may continue to add lining to the nest for 2 or 3 days after 

 laying the first egg. In extreme cases, according to Watson, the 

 first egg may be laid on dry sand before nest building even starts, 

 and the nest built around it while the clutch is completed. 



