290 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



trayed little anxiety as to the welfare of his young, but 

 occasionally, after an outburst of alarm on the part of his 

 mate, roused himself somewhat from his apparent apathy — 

 he stood most of the time with his feathers puffed out 

 facing the biting wind — and moved uneasily for a short 

 distance before again taking up his sentinel-like position. 

 But though both birds evinced the utmost confidence in 

 approaching me, they did not cease from warning their 

 young to remain concealed ; and after waiting for two 

 hours — by which time I had become just about as cold 

 as is possible — I was obliged to leave the nesting site, 

 since I feared that the arctic wind would have a disastrous 

 effect on the Dunlin brood. 



Across the glen there stretched a second great plateau, 

 and here, on crossing a sheep-fence, I got close to a male 

 Golden Plover on sentinel duty. Facing the strong wind, 

 he had not been aware of my approach, and seemed at 

 first too surprised to utter his alarm note. As he awoke 

 to the sense of his responsibilities he repeatedly uttered 

 his alarm whistle, and from the far side of the fence his 

 mate answered him. Their excited calls aroused, in the 

 neighbourhood of a lochan near, a Dunlin who also evi- 

 dently had young, for she flew backward and forward 

 with powerful zigzagging flight, uttering her characteristic 

 note. From time to time she alighted at various points, 

 holding her wings above her head with most graceful 

 poise for a few seconds after she touched ground. Im- 

 mediately I imitated the cry of her young, however, she 

 rose from wherever she happened to be standing and flew 

 round, betraying great disquietude. Like the young of all 

 the waders, the Dunlin chicks crouch on the ground 

 immediately danger is signalled by their parents, and re- 

 main in hiding till they are informed that they may show 

 themselves ; and on this occasion also I was unsuccessful 

 in discovering them. 



