78 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



flocks, but almost immediately break up into pairs ; 

 until then, however, they rarely, if ever, utter their 

 nesting cry. Sometimes they are misled by a spell 

 of warm weather in March into thinking the winter 

 must be over ; but soon after they have reached the 

 moorlands winter again sets in with all its severity, 

 and they are put to terrible straits. 



It seems very strange why the Curlews 

 should not descend again to the sea coast on 

 a return of winter, as with their powerful flight 

 they could reach the sea, even from the most in- 

 land districts, in the space of an hour or t\vo ; but 

 this, I believe, they never do. In fact, I have seen 

 them starving in frost and snow when less than 

 an hour's flight would have taken them down to 

 the coast where food in plenty is ever to be found, 

 and yet to do this apparently never entered their 

 heads. 



The spring of 1905 was especially severe, with 

 fresh falls of snow daily, and the Curlews could be 

 heard calling mournfully to each other when a 

 new storm was commencing, as if they knew that 

 fresh hardships were before them. One day in 

 March of that year, there was a heavy storm 

 overnight, followed by a day of cloudless skies 

 and brilliant sun, which had a curious effect 

 on the hills. On their southern slopes the snow 

 had all disappeared ere dusk, and the mountain 

 burns on these sun-exposed sides were in flood. 

 On the other hand, the northern sides of the hills 

 remained spotlessly white the whole day. Thus 

 the sunny sides of the hills were crowded with bird 

 life Curlews, Redshanks, Lapwings, and Golden 

 Plovers all searching diligently for food, while 

 the snow-clad lands were absolutely devoid of wild 



