﻿106 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  Nairn 
  to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Findhorn 
  during 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  

   and 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  great 
  numbers 
  of 
  birds 
  there, 
  mostly 
  in 
  pairs, 
  in 
  

   May 
  and 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  June, 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  accompanied 
  by 
  

   their 
  young. 
  

  

  The 
  O.S.A. 
  is 
  silent. 
  Edward 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  ' 
  Only 
  in 
  winter, 
  and 
  

   not 
  in 
  large 
  numbers,' 
  which 
  may 
  or 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  a 
  mistake. 
  They 
  

   leave 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Aberdeen 
  in 
  the 
  autumn, 
  after 
  bringing 
  out 
  

   their 
  young, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  adjoining 
  area 
  of 
  ' 
  Dee,' 
  George 
  Sim 
  has 
  

   never 
  seen 
  one 
  in 
  winter. 
  However, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  attach 
  much 
  

   significance 
  to 
  these 
  facts, 
  as, 
  although 
  absent 
  at 
  certain 
  points 
  of 
  

   our 
  coasts 
  in 
  winter, 
  they 
  are 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  frequent 
  others 
  

   regularly, 
  their 
  presence 
  or 
  absence 
  being 
  regulated 
  by 
  the 
  nature 
  

   of 
  the 
  feeding-grounds. 
  

  

  Brown 
  of 
  Forres 
  saw 
  a 
  pure 
  white 
  Sheldrake 
  in 
  May 
  1895 
  

   on 
  the 
  shore 
  near 
  Forres. 
  He 
  examined 
  it 
  through 
  his 
  glasses, 
  

   and 
  is 
  quite 
  sure 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  identity 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  

  

  Tadorna 
  casarca 
  (L.). 
  Ruddy 
  Sheldrake. 
  

  

  Six 
  Euddy 
  Sheldrakes 
  frequented 
  the 
  Buckie 
  loch 
  near 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   of 
  Findhorn 
  river, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  was 
  shot 
  by 
  a 
  salmon 
  fisher. 
  

   This 
  was 
  a 
  female, 
  and 
  was 
  preserved 
  by 
  Brown 
  of 
  Forres 
  (in 
  lit. 
  

   13th 
  July 
  1892). 
  This 
  bird 
  was 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  flesh 
  by 
  George 
  Sim. 
  

   The 
  exact 
  date 
  on 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  shot 
  was 
  5th 
  July 
  ; 
  and 
  Harvie- 
  

   Brown 
  also 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  inspecting 
  it 
  after 
  it 
  was 
  

   stuffed. 
  

  

  A 
  second 
  specimen 
  was 
  shot 
  in 
  the 
  estuary 
  near 
  Findhorn 
  on 
  

   the 
  19th 
  October 
  1892, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  A. 
  Brown 
  of 
  Dundee— 
  who 
  

   was 
  punting 
  in 
  the 
  firth 
  and 
  bay 
  of 
  Findhorn 
  — 
  and 
  he 
  gave 
  it 
  to 
  

   Brown 
  of 
  Forres. 
  It 
  is 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  another 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  flock 
  

   of 
  six 
  originally 
  observed. 
  

  

  Anas 
  boscas, 
  L. 
  Mallard. 
  

  

  Resident 
  and 
  abundant. 
  No 
  part 
  of 
  our 
  area 
  is 
  without 
  this 
  well- 
  

   known 
  bird. 
  

  

  The 
  Wild 
  Duck 
  is 
  very 
  generally 
  included 
  in 
  all 
  lists 
  as 
  

   'common'; 
  'abundant, 
  especially 
  in 
  winter.' 
  'Very 
  abundant 
  

   along 
  the 
  river 
  Deveron'; 
  often 
  nesting 
  a 
  long 
  way 
  from 
  water 
  

   and 
  near 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  Threeman's 
  Hill 
  near 
  Rothiemay. 
  Observed 
  

   upon 
  every 
  reach 
  of 
  the 
  Deveron, 
  from 
  the 
  sources 
  near 
  the 
  Buck 
  

   of 
  Cabrach 
  to 
  the 
  sea. 
  

  

  