THE GREENSHANK 193 



removed from the nesting site of the Crested Tit, but 

 was farther out into the moor. 



Several years previously a big heather fire had got 

 out of hand, and had burnt a large tract of ground, in- 

 cluding a number of pine trees. Previous to this Green- 

 shank were not numerous in the locality, but the bare 

 and blackened moor was evidently to their liking, for a 

 number put in their appearance the following year, and 

 frequented the spot regularly until the present season. 

 The birds arrived early in April, usually paired, and the 

 full clutch of eggs could usually be found on May 12th. 

 On one occasion a great storm of snow descended on the 

 nesting ground of the Greenshank after some of the birds 

 had commenced to brood. One of the stalkers on the 

 forest had discovered a nest a day or two previously, and 

 visited the spot during the storm, when no less than 14 

 inches of snow covered the ground. So deep was the 

 snow that he was unable to locate the exact place where 

 the nest was situated, but in his search he happened to 

 tread on a branch concealed out of sight by the white 

 covering on the ground. At once the sitting Greenshank 

 broke through the snow, where she had been brooding 

 on her eggs, quite buried from view, and fluttered out with 

 difficulty. This incident speaks well for the hardiness of 

 a ])ird which is only a summer migrant to these Islands. 



In many ways the Greenshank is eccentric in its habits, 

 and one of its peculiarities is that it must have some 

 definite landmark against which to deposit its eggs. Its 

 nesting grounds are moorlands with a few scattered pines 

 growing through them, and there are usually scattered 

 about dead pine branches, or the stumps of former trees 

 still hold themselves a foot or so above the surface of the 

 ground. The nest is invariably to be found placed beside 

 one of these landmarks ; it is never in a tussock or on a 

 knoll, as is the case with the Redshank, and thus, to one 



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