BIRDS. 



263 



northern area as far as the birch woods extend up the Helmsdale 

 strath. At times these birds assemble in small flocks of from a 

 dozen to twenty, as two of our correspondents have informed us ; 

 one such flock was seen at Kintradwell near Brora, the other at 

 Inverness. 



Our earliest available positive record south of the Great Glen 

 is supplied by Mr. Hoy's valuable MS. notes. He tells us: — 'One 

 found dead in a room being newly fitting up at Gordon Castle, 

 March 29th, 1814.' 



The Creeper is found in all fir and oak and mixed plantations, 

 and all the wooded parts of our area ; nesting in old pines in the 

 Scots-pine areas (as noted by Stewart of Grantown), but perhaps 

 more abundant where the mixed woods occur, such as at Darnaway 

 on Findhorn and around Forres as far up as Tomatin, 900 feet 

 and probably higher, where it is quite common. It is abundant 

 in various localities in Speyside, and is common as high up as 

 Beldornie on the Upper Deveron, though not seen by us personally 

 so far up. 



Family MOTACILLID^. 



Motacilla alba, X. White Wagtail. 



North of Inverness we have no notice of this species. Booth saw 

 them on the river Ness, but not farther inland than the town of 

 Inverness. 



Motacilla lugubris, Temm. Pied Wagtail. 



Load Name. — Watery Wagtail. 



Although mostly a summer visitant to the north of our area, the Pied 

 Wagtail remains not uncommonly all the year round, the banks of 

 the Ness being a favourite locality, probably because that river 

 remains open in the hardest weather. The time of its arrival 

 varies with the season ; thus the bird was seen at Invergarry in 

 1887 at the end of February, but it is generally much later at 

 these inland places, the sea-shore being a more favourite locivlity 

 during the winter. It is found about Tain throughout the year, 

 but a correspondent says it is more numerous there in summer 

 than in winter. 



