Bird Notes and News 



73 



most anxiously watched are the Red- 

 throated Divers ; the Black-tailed God- 

 wits, which it is greatly hoped may re- 

 establish themselves as a breeding-species 

 in the British Isles ; and the Hen- 

 Harriers, which so far have been robbed 

 of their eggs almost every year and are 

 in a parlous state. The Godwit was 

 driven out of Britain years ago through 

 the persistent taking of its eggs ; the 

 Harrier, handsomest of the three species 

 of the genus, has been nearly extirpated 

 in England by the gamekeeper. 



Taken altogether, the Report is most 

 encouraging and should stimulate all 

 interested in the preservation of British 

 birds to assist in the task undertaken by 

 the Society. " The marked increase in 

 all the rare and more important species 

 was," writes Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, " com- 

 mented on most favourably by an in- 

 dependent witness, who had not visited 

 the Shetland Islands since 1908. He 

 was much struck by the increase he 

 observed and the apparent absence of 

 egg-stealers in the group." The Society 

 has been peculiarly fortunate in having 

 the loyal services of alert and experienced 

 Watchers, who, in their work, take the 

 genuine and keen interest which alone 

 could inspire them to carry out duties far 

 from light in so eminently satisfactory a 

 manner. 



Hearty thanks are also due to 

 Mr. Meade- Waldo and Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, 

 who for several years past have at their 

 own expense visited Watchers and birds, 

 to see results, on behalf of the Watchers 

 Committee. The climate of the Isles is 

 not always enjoyable, even in June and 

 July. To walk and drive long miles in 

 blinding mist and drenching rain ; to be 

 soaked to the skin, with no near prospect 

 of a change of clothes ; to have to travel 



a hundred miles across country because 

 no boat can face six miles of angry surf, 

 are things not entirely pleasurable, even 

 though the reward be the sight of the 

 last of the Ernes on her crag — of Raven 

 and Peregrine, Bonxie and Black-backed 

 Gull in homes fit beyond all others for 

 their wild natures ; of Phalaropes swim- 

 ming among the rushes, Terns nesting on 

 the shore among white sand and blue 

 flowers, and Divers calling above the 

 loch where their young are hidden ; of 

 the only known British breeding-place 

 of the Slavonian Grebe. But to have a 

 part in preserving this wild life for 

 generations yet to come, is the highest 

 guerdon of the naturalist. 



The Report of the Watchers Com- 

 mittee also includes Dr. Drewitt's account 

 of his visit to North Cornwall. The 

 Choughs and Buzzards there are doing 

 well, and Dr. Drewitt points out that 

 the comparatively small increase in the 

 number of nests of the Chough is no 

 doubt due to the fact that it is young 

 birds which have always most dangers 

 to face ; " and so when any species, once 

 plentiful, has its numbers greatly reduced, 

 and its area restricted, there is difficulty 

 in resuscitating it, for there are not 

 young ones enough to survive the heavy 

 toll taken by enemies, including man." 

 The decrease has however been checked, 

 and in 1914 there was at least one new 

 nest, in a new place, of the old British 

 " Red-legged Crow." 



There are, further, reports of the 

 Watching at Beachy Head and neigh- 

 bouring cliffs, Brean Down, Dungeness, 

 Ennerdale, the Isle of Wight, Llandwyn 

 (Anglesey), Newbrough (Aberdeenshire), 

 and Inchmickery. In all these districts 

 the Watchers have done their work well. 



