138 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



Dippers thought of the storm and whether they 

 imagined they had made a premature start in 

 house-building. 



Three weeks later the nest was finished and 

 one egg laid, but when the young birds should have 

 been nearly ready to leave the nest, a tremendous 

 storm of snow and rain swept down from the north, 

 and the burn rose rapidly until it lifted the 

 nest from its foundations and bore it seawards 

 in its current. The last I saw of the nest was just 

 before it was washed away, but there were no signs 

 of the old birds ; so perhaps they had succeeded in 

 getting their brood to a place of safety. Let us 

 hope so, at all events. 



The Dipper usually lays five eggs of a pure white 

 colour, but when fresh, the yolk shining through 

 gives them a pink tinge. They are rather elongated, 

 and are very similar in shape and colour to those 

 of the Swift, although, of course, the nesting site 

 is totally different. The mother bird sits very 

 close, and often the first intimation you have of 

 the nest being occupied is when your hand touches 

 the brooding hen inside. 



The Dippers seem to take longer to rear their 

 family than most birds of their own size, and six 

 weeks after the eggs are laid the young may still 

 be in the nest. Sometimes, when you have 

 inserted your hand to feel how the young inside 

 are progressing, the young birds pop out one 

 after another directly it is withdrawn, and jump 

 into the stream below, chirping loudly and swim- 

 ming off in all directions. Then the parent birds 

 immediately make their appearance and with loud 

 cries of alarm endeavour to collect their scattered 

 family. 



