THE FAUNA OF THE MOOR 119 



One of the most interesting things about the 

 Curlew is the courting flight, which we have often 

 watched in the Easter holidays on the Deeside hills. 

 The male bird soars to a considerable height in the 

 air and hovers ; it sinks and rises again ; it circles and 

 hovers again; and all the time it pours forth a simple 

 trilling song, certainly not plaintive, singing over and 

 over again " Courlie, courlie, courlie." This is very 

 different from the rather mournful " Whaup, whaup " 

 of the winter season. 



Very like the Curlew in most ways is its much 

 smaller cousin the Whimbrel (Numenius phceopus), 

 but it usually breeds much farther north than Britain. 

 It is a well-known visitor, however, to our shores, 

 chiefly as a bird of passage, and the rippling whistle, 

 often seven times repeated, is a delight. To this the 

 name " Seven Whistler " refers, and " Titterel" is also 

 suggestive. Mr. Masefield says : 



11 And like the shaking of a timbrel ' 

 Cackles the laughter of the whimbrel." 



There are two other birds so common on many 

 moorlands that we must take note of them : the 

 Stonechat and the Whinchat. They are first cousins, 

 two species of one genus. The Stonechat (Pratincola 

 rubicola) is for the most part a resident, and the male 

 is easily recognised by his black head, white collar, 

 and ruddy breast. He flies from one whin bush to 

 another, selecting the topmost branch, and uttering a 

 scolding note, and jerking his tail. Both parents say 

 " Chack " when anxious about their nest. This is 

 made on the ground, hidden among rough herbage 

 or at the foot of the whin bush; it is composed of 



