WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 181 



Grebes. We secured a good boat and boatman, and 

 went in search of the Grebes. We were soon busily 

 engaged in picturing a nest with one egg in it ; but 

 later on Pike got a splendid series of photos of one 

 containing four. We saw many Grebe on the glassy 

 surface of the lake ; for it was a perfect day, and in 

 consequence they were not keeping to the shelter of 

 the reeds. How exceedingly graceful the Crested 

 Grebe is ! Watch that male out yonder, some sixty 

 yards from the boat : just now he is preening the 

 satiny white plumage of his breast, which fairly 

 sparkles in the sun. How graceful the profiled 

 outline of his small and finely chiselled head ! But 

 see ! something has alarmed him, for quick as thought 

 he has dived and will seek the seclusion of some 

 dank nook in the rushes or else reappear further 

 from us. 



Landing the church side of the lake, we hunt some 

 swampy ground in search of a Snipe's nest, and find 

 the following : two Peewit's nests, one with three, the 

 other with two eggs, as well as some young of this 

 species. It was a late date for the Green Plover's 

 eggs ; but undoubtedly some mishap befell the first 

 or even the second attempt. One set of eggs were 

 very dark, the other exceptionally light varieties. 

 Just after this we discovered a splendidly concealed 

 Whinchat's home with five eggs, and a little further 

 on, in a clump of sedges, a Pheasant's nest and the 

 old home of a Wild Duck. Out in the drier part 

 of the meadow a Yellow Wagtail's nest is presented 

 to view under a marsh marigold, but is not well 

 concealed. There were several pairs of these charm- 



