76 BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



to have notes which go well with the 

 wild surroundings. There is the wail of 

 the Red-throated Diver, which sounds 

 like the groan of a man in pain ; the 

 far-reaching kop-op-op-op-op of the larger 

 Black-throated Diver, and the harsh 

 answering cry, ker-o-war\ the deep 

 sounding call of the Wild Geese, kur-kur- 

 kur-konk, ker-konk, and the loud whistle 

 of their wings as they fly past. Now 

 and then the pee-pee-pee of the Sandpiper 

 as it flies from one rock to another, and 

 the rude calls of the Gulls, with the 

 short, sharp bark of the Greater Black- 

 backed Gull. Out towards the mountains 

 one heard the croak of the Raven, krrrak, 

 krrrak, and from over the black moors 

 came the cry of the Whimbrel. Again 

 and again those rough notes broke the 

 silence, but one could often listen for an 

 hour without hearing a single sound to 

 disturb the calm. I rowed back to the 

 end of the loch, fastened the boat to a 



