Winter Birds on the Shores of 'the Minch 



divers, along with the red-throated divers, are busy at 

 their fishing of a winter's day. No bird, I think, remains 

 under water for so long a period as the true divers. On 

 an average they remain submerged between sixty and seventy 

 seconds, and in that time often progress more than a hundred 

 yards beneath the surface. And with what grace do they 

 dive, making no sound and scarcely a ripple as they go 

 down, nor is it often that they will come to the surface 

 without carrying in their bill some fish or crab which latter 

 they have at times difficulty in swallowing. Sometimes 

 of a winter's day I have seen the great northern diver, or 

 "loon," as he is sometimes called, flying high and rapidly 

 as he changes his fishing-grounds, and his flight at such 

 times is in marked contrast to his laboured splashings as 

 he attempts, after a heavy meal, to raise himself from the 

 surface of the sea. 



There are certain Scottish lochans where the red-throated 

 and even the black-throated divers breed undisturbed, but 

 the great northern diver has never been known to nest in 

 the British Isles, though as late as June 24 I have seen a 

 pair in full breeding plumage in a Hebridean bay. 



One of the most interesting birds to watch at its feeding 

 is the turnstone, a wader of about the same size as the red- 

 shank, and with legs fully as red as those of the latter bird. 

 In build, however, the turnstone is more plover-like : its 

 legs are shorter, as is the bill also, and its plumage is more 

 variegated, so that the two birds should never be confused. 



Turnstones during the winter are sociable birds, and are 

 generally seen feeding in flocks of considerable numbers. 

 I think I am right in saying that they are almost the only 

 shore bird that feeds independently of the tide. Curlew, 

 godwit, knot, sanderling, dunlin to name only a few 

 remain quietly grouped together in some secluded part of 

 the coast-line during the hours of high water, and return 

 to their feeding-grounds only when the mud flats have been 

 left bare by the receding waters. The turnstone, on the 



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