Birds by Land and Sea 



an oyster-catcher running with head lowered as fast 

 as she could along a low stony ridge formed by rocky 

 outcrop from the soil. Although a couple of hun- 

 dred yards from the shore, I knew from the bird's 

 manner that I had taken her unawares, the ridge 

 having hidden me from the cock's place of look-out 

 on the wall. Apart from its distance from the rocks, 

 the stony ridge seemed a sufficiently likely place for 

 the nest. Up and down that ridge I went, search- 

 ing every hollow without success. At last I turned 

 my back upon it in despair, and gazed blankly at the 

 grass below the ridge. I had hit upon the spot as if 

 by magic, and was all the while looking at three large 

 eggs lying in a hole scratched by a rabbit in the turf. 

 Beside the eggs the hollow contained a few rabbit 

 droppings, small stones, and fern stalks. This 

 oyster-catcher, at any rate, might be said to have 

 made no nest. 



I last saw the eggs when returning from the 

 cliffs in the evening of the 6th June. Re-visiting 

 the nest on the morning of the 8th June, I found 

 the three chicks shown in the picture. At our 

 approach both of the old birds got up and circled 

 round and round, piping frantically. The young, 

 at first, crouched and were silent ; but soon they 

 began to pipe back, and take to their legs whenever 

 they got the chance. The markings of the young 

 were just those of a tabby kitten, the black, white, 

 and grey giving no promise of the startling com- 

 bination of black and white which distinguishes the 



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