WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



the shore, taking to the higher hills, where it breeds, near 

 the edge of some loch or marsh. During the season of 

 breeding, this bird (though so shy and suspicious at all 

 other times) flies boldly round the head of any passer by, 

 with a loud, screaming whistle. The eggs are very large. 

 When first hatched, the young have none of the length of 

 bill which is so distinguishing a feature in the old bird. On 

 the shore the curlews feed mostly on cockles and other 

 shell-fish, which they extract from the sand with ease, and 

 swallow whole, voiding the shells broken into small pieces. 

 During open weather they frequent the turnip and grass 

 fields, where they appear to be busily seeking for snails 

 and worms. 



There is no bird more difficult to get within shot of than 

 the curlew. Their sense of smelling is so acute that it is im- 

 possible to get near them excepting by going against the 

 wind, and they keep too good a look-out to leeward to ad- 

 mit of thisbeingalways done. I have frequently killed them 

 when feeding in fields surrounded by stone walls, by show- 

 ing myhand or some small part of my dress above thewall, 

 when they have come wheeling round to discover what the 

 object was. 



Besides the sea-birds that come into this country to breed, 

 such as sandpipers, pewits, terns, (fife, there are some few 

 of our smaller birds that arrive in the spring to pass the 

 summer here. Amongst these I may name the redstart, the 

 spotted flycatcher, the whitethroat, the wheatear, &c. 



The redstart is not very common: it breeds in several 

 places, however, up the Findhorn; at Logie, for instance, 

 where year after year it builds in an old ivy-covered wall. 



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