50 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



The favourite nesting site is on the south slopes 

 of a hill well over 3,000 feet high, which is well 

 sheltered, and has a good growth of the blaeberries 

 and grass which form the bird's chief food in 

 fact, I have never found a nest on the north side 

 of a hill, although a few birds probably breed in 

 this situation at times. Even after the young are 

 hatched, the troubles of the parent bird have by 

 no means ended. Towards the end of July I came 

 upon a newly-hatched chick the mother's first 

 clutch must in some way have been destroyed 

 whose head had been bitten right off by some stoat 

 or Hood'e Crow. The body was quite warm, and 

 blood was still dropping from the wound. Scattered 

 round were the pieces of down and tiny feathers, 

 so that probably more than one bird had fallen a 

 victim to the poacher. The mother bird was run- 

 ning round anxiously, and I felt sorry indeed for 

 her. 



The young birds are able to fly very shortly 

 after they are hatched and while still quite small. 

 The old bird watches over them with great care, 

 and resorts to all kinds of tricks to lead the in- 

 truder away from her children. Once I was photo- 

 graphing a small young one, when suddenly it 

 and its brothers and sisters rose cheeping and flut- 

 tered down the hillside. Immediately the old bird 

 flew right up to my feet and looked up at me 

 appealingly ; but unfortunately my supply of plates 

 had run out, so I lost a splendid opportunity of 

 obtaining a unique photograph. I have seen a 

 Ptarmigan's young in great danger from a herd 

 of frightened deer, and the old bird half running, 

 half flying along in front of the herd. 



By August the chicks are full grown, when 



