The Land of the Hills and the Glens 



certain it was here that the nest was situated, the more so 

 as after the hen, flying over, had called him out, he returned 

 again in a few seconds. However, a most careful search 

 revealed nothing, and a little later on I found what I took to 

 be the nest. The eggs were broken, and must have come to 

 some mischance. 



The next day I made my way again to the big loch, and 

 after a long walk came to its shores, and found the charming 

 and varied colony of bird life which it harbours throughout 

 the year. A dunlin still brooded her four eggs, and a colony 

 of terns had each a single egg in their nests; they had 

 probably lost their first and even second clutches, and this 

 was their last effort before the close of the summer. Near 

 the seaward end of the loch I noticed a phalarope betraying 

 great excitement, flying backward and forward in the 

 vicinity of a small pool, and chirruping loudly. I surmised 

 a nest, or perhaps young birds, must be in the neighbour- 

 hood, and by good fortune came upon the nest almost at 

 once. It was situated a few inches from the water's edge, 

 and was not concealed so cleverly as the one I had seen the 

 previous year. In it there were four delightful eggs, so 

 characteristic of the phalarope. Very small they were, and 

 compared with those of the snipe, or even dunlin, they were 

 decidedly less pear-shaped, and also, I think, relatively 

 thicker. They were very closely marked with dark brown 

 blotches, which almost hid the ground colour. 



Having located the nest I wished to see whether the 

 brooding bird would return to the eggs while I remained 

 in the vicinity, so took up my position not far away, and 

 waited quietly. For some time the phalarope continued its 

 anxious flights, but at length settled on the pool, where it 

 was joined by its mate. Swimming close together and 

 betraying great confidence, they yet lacked the boldness to 

 return to the eggs as long as I remained near them, so I 

 resumed my wanderings, and left them in peace. I was 

 more than sorry, on returning to the loch some weeks later, 



156 



