2-JO WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS, [ra.vr. xxmi. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



Woodcock's Nest: Early Breeding of; Habits of, in Spring; First Arrival 

 of; Anecdotes of; Manner of Carrying their Young Habits of Snipe 

 Number of Jack-Snipes Solitary Snipe. 



March 9, 1846. A woodcock's nest, with three eggs, was 

 brought to me to-day. Two years ago, a boy brought me a 

 young woodcock nearly full-grown, and fledged, in the second 

 week of April the exact day I do not remember. Reckoning 

 from this, I should suppose that the woodcock is about the first 

 bird to hatch in this country. A few years ago, it was .supposed 

 that none remained in Britain after the end of winter, except a 

 few wounded birds, which were unable to cross the sea to their 

 usual breeding-places. 



However, since the great increase of fir-plantations, great 

 numbers remain to breed. In the woods of Altyre and Darnaway 

 (as well as in all the other extensive plantations in the country), 

 during the whole spring and summer, I see the woodcocks flying 

 to and fro every evening in considerable numbars. As early as 

 six or seven o'clock, they begin to fly, uttering their curious cry, 

 which resembles more the croak of a frog than anything else; 

 varied, however, by a short shrill chirp. Down the shaded 

 course of the river, or through the avenues and glades of the 

 forest, already dark from the shadow of the pine-trees, the 

 woodcocks keep up a continual flight, passing and repassing in 

 all directions, as if in search of each other. As the twilight 

 comes on, in the open part of the country, they leave the shade 

 of the woods and fly down to the swamps and pools near the sea- 

 shore and elsewhere, to feed during the night. When watching 

 in the evening for wild ducks or geese near the swamps by the 

 shore, I have constantly seen them pitch close to me, and com- 

 mence feeding in their peculiar manner. These birds must pro- 

 bably come from the Altyre woods, the nearest point of which is 

 at a distance of two or three miles. In the evening the wood- 



