The Oologists' Record, March i, 1922. 



be in almost the same spot on those patches. I have further noticed 

 that the eggs from any particular shingle bed, when compared with 

 eggs from the same bed taken in any other 3^ear, prove to resemble 

 one another closely, and I think this supports my theory that the 

 bird^s remain and breed in the same spot for many years. 



In choosing a site for the nest, the birds show a decided preference 

 for the edge of a shingle bed and more often than not a place where 

 there are a few biggish stones. The nest varies considerably ; 

 sometimes it is merely an unlined hollow, but as a rule the hollow 

 is lined with small stones, pieces of shell and small bits of debris. 

 In some nests the amount of material used is considerable. I 

 remember one such nest on a stony patch on the river bank. The 

 birds had carried together enough small stones and shell to make 

 a mound about 7 inches in diameter and 2 inches high. It was 

 quite easily seen at a distance, but such a large nest. is quite the 

 exception. The nests, on the average, are by no means easy to 

 find. The sitting bird is very wary, slipping off the nest on the 

 first sign of danger. It either runs a short distance before taking 

 to flight or flies straight from the eggs, requiring a keen eyesight 

 to catch a glimpse of it as it glides away. By the time one reaches 

 the spot it will be feeding in a water pool, showing no concern 

 whatever for its eggs, as if it realised their protective colouring. 

 The orJy way to find a nest is thoroughly to search a likely spot. 

 Once only did I come across a bird that behaved differently. I 

 was on horseback, riding along the river bank. On a patch of 

 stones I found a nest betrayed by the bird jumping up right under 

 my horse's feet. I dismounted and was surprised to find that the 

 bird remained close to its eggs. I sat down by the nest and 

 remained there five minutes. The whole of that time the bird 

 remained near the nest, often coming so close that I could almost 

 touch it. 



Should this plover have young it becomes quite a different 

 bird, showing the greatest emotion and endeavouring to draw the 

 intruder away by the old rus^ of pretending to be disabled. 



The nesting season is an extended one, March and May being 

 the only months of the year in which I have no records of nests. 

 The best time for eggs, however, is from August 6th to the end of 

 November. Right through August the birds breed freely, slackening 

 off somewhat in September but nesting very freely again in October 

 with a gradual slackening off in November, After November my 



