NORMAN GILROY: THE GOOSANDER. 403 



nest, and as I was anxious to catch the sitting duck if 

 possible I broke away a piece of the bank. As soon as I 

 did so, however, the duck escaped by another hole which 

 I had not previously noticed, and flew down towards the 

 loch. Her plumage was very bright, and she appeared 

 to be in perfect condition. The nest was perhaps four 

 feet from the entrance — the cavity being dry and warm — 

 and it contained ten eggs and a profusion of down mixed 

 with good-sized bunches of heather, and a very few birch 

 leaves, evidently taken there by the bird. The site had 



A Nesting Haunt of the Goosander. 



been used before as was amply demonstrated by the 

 presence of old eggshells. The eggs were in an advanced 

 state of incubation, and should have hatched out in a 

 week or less. Both entrances to the nest were quite open 

 and unprotected, and both were apparently used 

 regularly. 



I told the keeper on my return that I had found the 

 Goosander's nest and the matter dropped. But on the 

 21st I happened to be rambling along the same stream 

 early in the morning looking at a Kestrel's eyrie, when 



