236 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



The next day bavv a westerly gale, bringing with it cold 

 rain squalls, with, I believe, snow on the highest ground. 

 Under such conditions I was reluctant to disturb the 

 Dotterel, and so it was not until the following day that I 

 made my way for the last time up the glen leading to his 

 hill. A strong breeze still shook the birches in the glen, 

 but the sun was shining clearly. Again I watched the 

 eaglet for a time on my way and saw him flapping his 

 white wings in the strong light. Blue Hares rose in front 

 of me and shot away at great speed, though curiosity 

 soon mastered alarm, and they sat up on their hind legs 

 to watch the unexpected visitor. A Grouse with her 

 brood displayed considerable boldness in her anxiety 

 for her young, and the air was filled with the twitterings 

 of Meadow Pipits, most of them with young families in 

 the neighbourhood. 



As I neared the nest there was no sign of the Dotterel, 

 and, to my disappointment, I discovered that the nest 

 contained only the single egg which had been without 

 signs of life two days before. Forty yards away I found 

 a portion of one of the shells where it had been carried 

 by the parent bird, but of him and his family there were 

 no signs. 



For several hours I searched for the brood, visiting 

 the more sheltered hollows, and the clear springs at the 

 head of the corrie, in the hopes that he might have led 

 down his young to drink. But of them there was no sign. 

 An old cock Ptarmigan scrambled along amongst some 

 rough ground at my feet before flying off, croaking, and 

 unwilling to leave his mate. Above their nesting rock the 

 Peregrines circled, rising together into the breeze with 

 quick motions of their strong wings. Across the loch 

 beneath the breeze rushed, throwing up white-capped 

 wavelets on which the sun shone brilliantly. In the green 

 corrie a number of hinds were feeding, and with them a 



