

AMONG THE BIRDS IN SPRING. 35 



beach, and in the quiet bays just above the line of 

 drift which marks high tide, the Oystercatcher oyster- 



1 /-pit . . , i i f catcher 



lays its eggs. I his singular bird often arranges ^S 

 several nests among the shingle before selecting 

 one for its purpose ; the female lays three or four 

 eggs buff in ground colour, spotted and streaked 

 with blackish-brown and pale gray. The old birds 

 become very anxious for their speckled treasures 

 when man appears upon the scene, and rise 

 screaming in the air, hurrying to and fro, piping 

 mournfully all the time. Another well-known bird 

 of the coast in spring-time is the Ringed Plover. Ringed 

 This species breeds upon the stretches of fine 

 sand, eschewing the coarser shingle. This is 

 because the colours of its eggs harmonise best with 

 the sand, being buff in ground colour, finely spotted 

 with blackish-brown and gray. Another bird which 

 often breeds on the moorlands near the sea, as 

 well as in the inland districts, is the Wild Duck, wnd Duck 

 This bird breeds early ; and as soon as the eggs 7th April. 

 are laid, the drakes desert the ducks, and leave 

 them to bring up their broods by themselves. 

 Sometimes the Wild Duck will make its nest a 

 mile or more from the water. 



The most prominent features of bird life in 

 spring - time are love and song, marriage and 

 family cares. The songs of birds are a most 

 fascinating subject for the naturalist's inquiry. To 

 me it is always a never-failing source of interest 

 to observe the gradual increase of bird - music 

 through the spring-time until it reaches perfec- 



D 2 



