The Land of the Hills and the Glens 



his nest in a neighbouring wood, but I did not succeed in 

 discovering it. 



On April 21 I visited a small island on which a large 

 colony of common gu.lls nest. A few nests appeared to be 

 completed, but I did not see any eggs, for it was somewhat 

 early for these. The solitary eider duck, which usually 

 nests on the island, had not as yet arrived, nor had any of 

 the red-breasted mergansers. 



On April 22 I visited a heronry and found young birds 

 in one or two of the nests one brood being at least ten days 

 old. The weather this day suddenly changed from very 

 clear and sunny conditions to heavy squalls of rain and 

 sleet, which fell as snow on the high grounds. On the 27th, 

 with little warning, the weather turned quite summer-like. 

 On this day 1 saw the first sandpiper, common tern, swallow 

 and sand martin, and heard a willow warbler in song. On 

 the 2Qth whimbrel were passing over, and on the 3Oth I 

 heard a whinchat in song. The temperature on the last 

 two days of the month exceeded 65 degrees, and the snow- 

 fields rapidly dwindled even on the higher hills. Every- 

 where the birches were budding and the air was filled with 

 the sweet aroma from their young leaves. 



3. MAY 



THE cold and unsettled conditions prevailing during the 

 earlier part of the spring having come to a close with almost 

 bewildering suddenness during the last days of April, sum- 

 merlike weather prevailed at the opening of May. 



Blackcock still fought regularly at their chosen grounds 

 at the beginning of the month, and on the morning of May 

 2, between four and five o'clock, I watched for some time a 

 number of these birds. 



I saw the first puffins on the morning of May 2. These 

 birds seem to be already paired when they arrive at their 



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