The Dotterel of the High Tops 



ing to within a foot of him we caused him to rise from his 

 eggs and walk a yard or two away — ^to wait with obvious 

 impatience for our going. 



This nest was liberally lined with lichens. By June 22 the 

 chicks were hatched out and had left the nest. But on this 

 date the nest at 4,000 feet did not show any signs of hatching. 



The fine weather had now gone from the hills. A strong 

 southerly wind brought with it white drifting mists, so that 

 it was not easy to locate the nesting-ground. 



By now plant life, refreshed by the rains, was at length 

 stirring on the plateau. The cushion pink was everywhere 

 opening its flowers, some of the deepest crimson, others of a 

 pale pink. The grasses were tingeing parts of the plateau a 

 fresh green, good to see as a harbinger of summer. 



The dotterel on this day let us approach to within a few 

 yards, when he fluttered off with tail outspread and wings 

 drooping and quivering, all the tinie calling plaintively. He 

 then disappeared into the mist, but soon returned and flew 

 straight to his eggs, having, I think, lost trace of us in the 

 clouds. We watched him for awhile, and after a little he 

 flew away to a grassy part of the plateau about a hundred 

 yards away, where he was in the habit of feeding. 



On this day, at a height of about 3,800 feet, we passed 

 a mother ptarmigan with her brood strong on the wing, and 

 met with another family at the unusually low level — for this 

 hill bird — of 1,800 feet. The next occasion on which the 

 nest was visited was on June 24 — Midsummer's Day. 



Though there was little wind, the air at 4,000 feet was very 

 cold and, unfortunately for the success of photography, the 

 sun shone only for a few minutes, and after three o'clock 

 white mists enveloped the plateau. 



For the first time since the nest was discovered it was 

 found possible to set up the hide — the wind, as I mentioned 

 before, had dropped light — and both my companion and 

 I entered it. The hiding-tent was not more than twelve 

 feet from the nest, and though we entered it in full view of 



109 



