NAIRN. 



JUNE. 



June 1st. In the woods at Daltra I saw several pairs of 

 crossbills, but could not find any nest, though I have no doubt 

 that they do breed here, from my seeing them at all seasons. I 

 also saw redstarts, siskins, a great many woodcocks, etc. On 

 Loch Belivat we found immense numbers of the black-headed 

 gulls breeding amongst the rushes on the islands, and even upon 

 the branches of some willow trees at the height of several feet 

 from the ground ; in fact, wherever could be found anything to 

 support a nest, one was placed. The variety of colour in the 

 eggs was very striking. Every shade of mottled-brown and 

 green. Three is the number which each bird lays. Some had 

 hatched. The young birds are beautifully marked, like tortoise- 

 shell more than anything else. The smell on the islands was 

 quite overpowering from the quantity of accumulated dung, etc. 

 of the birds, sending up an odour like an uncleaned fowl-house. 

 There were a great many mallards on the loch, but no ducks, the 

 latter having either broods of young by this time, or being em- 

 ployed in sitting on eggs. Also a few drake teal were flying 

 about the edges of the water. Coots and all other birds seemed 

 quite banished from the rushes by the confusion and clamour 

 of the gulls. The eggs of the latter are very large in proportion 



