The Dotterel of the High Tops 



restless and flew off to his favourite feeding-ground about 

 two hundred yards away, returning at 11.32 a.m. 



There was a great charm to-day in being on the roof of 

 Scotland. Although the sun was hidden, the air was extra- 

 ordinarily clear and, a rare thing for these altitudes, not a 

 breath of wind stirred. Over all was a great silence, save for 

 the distant sound of a waterfall in the corrie below and the 

 song of a snow bunting from some neighbouring scree. 



For the last time we visited the dotterel at his home 

 amongst the clouds on June 27. The air was still on the 

 plateau, and the sun shone from a deep blue sky. What a 

 magnificent view may be had from this wild country ! 



From Lochnagar, in the Balmoral forest, away to the 

 conical peaks of the hills about Knoydart, on the Atlantic 

 seaboard, the shape of each hill was clear. Only on the 

 summit of Ben Nevis were clouds resting. Away beyond the 

 Moray Firth could be seen the blue smoke from some moor- 

 land or forest fire. j u u ^ 



On reaching the nest we found two chicks already hatched, 

 one of them crouching about a foot outside the nest. They 

 were quite dry, and had evidently hatched out during the 

 night or small hours of the morning; the third ^g% was 



addled. 



The father dotterel appeared very pleased that his mono- 

 tonous duty had been crowned with success, and whenever 

 the chicks moved under him, purred with a curious though 

 pleasing note. During the course of the morning a pair of 

 dotterel which had apparently lost their eggs fed up close to 

 him. He thereupon flew off the nest with feathers ruffled 

 with anger and fiercely drove away the intruders. By midday 

 both chicks could run actively and made excursions from the 

 nest, returning obediently when called by their father. A 

 little later they left the nest for good. 



For some little time the parent bird was unwilling to leave 

 the addled ^gg. On two or three occasions he returned to 

 it, brooding it for a few seconds and listening intently for the 



XII 



