The Land of the Hills and the Glens 



hiding-place, without arousing their suspicions. But in this 

 we were unsuccessful, for the swans became alarmed and 

 took to flight, the two youngsters being the last to move. 



For a few days only the whooper swans remained on 

 the loch. I imagine that their way led them south, for I 

 know of no loch on the West Highlands where whoopers 

 remain throughout the whole of the winter. It seems, indeed, 

 as though many of the birds visit Scotland on their migra- 

 tions only, and spend the winter to the southward of us. 



But a few days later, when a north-easter cut through 

 the heather, bringing with it bitter cold and squalls of 

 driving snow, a fresh company of whooper swans, two old 

 and one young, arrived on the loch. It seemed as though 

 they were the parent birds still shepherding their full-grown 

 offspring, for all fed closely together, heeding not the great 

 cold, which numbed me as I watched them. So rough was 

 the Minch this day that even where I sat the salt spray 

 sped overhead, and the long-tailed ducks and other birds 

 which frequented Gruinard Bay were driven to seek else- 

 where for their food. 



And on the wings of this storm the whoopers sped 

 silently from us, so that with its passing the loch was left 

 to the mallard which sit and sun themselves here, and 

 the bald coots which call querulously to each other across 

 the peaty water. 



132 



