38 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



select a heathery slope high out on the hills, where the nest 

 is placed loosely among the long heather on the open moor. 

 Others prefer more sheltered situations in an overhanging 

 bank, among scrub or fern, or a rocky scaur. Sometimes, 

 on the burns, the nest is on a ledge of a crag in close com- 

 panionship with one of a Dipper. Outwardly it resembles a 

 Blackbird's, but has a framework of heather stalks. The Ring- 

 Ouzels lay 4 and sometimes 5 eggs about the first week in 

 May ; hatch towards the end of the month ; and the young 

 are on the wing by the middle of June. They remain on the 

 moors till the autumnal crop of berries — especially the 

 mountain ash — is exhausted, when they return southwards. 



May Sth. — Cuckoos observed paired ; watched them for 

 some time. Only one calls, probably the male. A Dotterel 

 (Eudroni'uis vtoruielliis) was shot on the moors above Wol- 

 singham, co. Durham, by Mr Craw'hall's keeper (Pattison 

 Wearmouth) on the 14tb May. Dotterels pass northward 

 through England at this season, but are never common, 

 and none breed in Northumberland or Durham. 



The Dunlins must have eggs now — a week ago their 

 actions showed they had already laid — but on the immense 

 extent of ground, it is all but impossible to discover their 

 nests. Iheir most favoured haunts are some wide tussocky 

 flowe, far out on the hills, and perhaps a mile in circuit. 

 This great flat area is occupied by perhaps but a single pair 

 of Dunlins ; hence the difficulty of detecting the exact site of 

 the nest is obvious. To attempt to watch the birds on to it 

 is vexation of spirit. They are so ridiculously tame, running 

 unconcernedly around, almost within arm's length, " purring " 

 the while in their peculiar fashion, that one imagines the 

 nest must be close at hand. Then after lying patiently 

 watching them, for perhaps half an hour, up goes the Dunlin 

 with a little wild pipe, and fiies right out of sight. I have 

 seen them year after year in spots where they certainly do 

 not breed, perform all their presumptively breeding antics, 

 as though gratuitously to deceive one. It will thus be seen 

 that though in the aggregate, a good many Dunlins nest on 

 the Border moors, yet being scattered widely al)out in single 

 pairs, they are easily overlooked. 



