CHAPTER XXX 



WINTER BIRDS ON THE SHORES OF THE MINCH 



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WITH the coming of autumn there reach the wild 

 shores of the Minch many wading birds fresh from their 

 nesting-homes in the far north. Some of these birds remain 

 on right through the winter, others again, after a brief 

 halt, move southward, making perhaps for grassy Islay, 

 or for the coast of Ireland, where feeding in abundance 

 awaits them. Many storms sweep the Minch in the season 

 of winter. From Stornoway across to Loch Ewe is not more 

 than forty miles, and the islands of the Outer Hebrides shelter 

 this arm of the Atlantic from the heavy swell from the south- 

 west. But northward no land lies, and on clear winter 

 days when the frost holds the land, and when the air 1 ! 

 is keen and still, there breaks on the shores a heavy 

 surf, coming from the north, so that its deep boom may 

 penetrate far into the country of the wild hills and moor- 

 lands. 



Along the Minch, and alternating with the rocky head- 

 lands, there lie many beaches of fine yellow sand. Far 

 different in colour are they from the sands of Tiree, where 

 shores of whiteness rivalling almost the snow in their purity 

 throw back the light of the sun so that the eyes are dazzled ; 

 but they possess a charm of their own, and are the haunts 

 all through the winter months of many birds of the sea 

 shore. 



When the wind is of no great force a thing rare to 

 find in this northern land it is good to lie in the shelter 

 of the sand dunes and watch the many varieties of birds to 

 be seen here. None, I think, is more interesting than the 

 long-tailed duck, or sea pheasant, as it is sometimes 



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