﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  179 
  

  

  /Egialitis 
  hiaticula 
  (L.). 
  Ringed 
  Plover. 
  

  

  Local 
  Names. 
  — 
  Sanny 
  (Sandy), 
  Laverock 
  (Lark), 
  Sandie-porpie. 
  

  

  Although 
  extremely 
  abundant 
  along 
  the 
  coast-line 
  where 
  suitable, 
  

   we 
  have, 
  so 
  far, 
  few 
  inland 
  localities 
  for 
  this 
  species 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  

   Ness 
  : 
  it 
  is, 
  however, 
  common 
  at 
  the 
  very 
  inland 
  locality 
  of 
  Baden- 
  

   loch, 
  Sutherlandshire. 
  Mr. 
  Muirhead 
  found 
  it 
  breeding 
  on 
  the 
  

   shores 
  of 
  Loch 
  Ness 
  in 
  1867 
  ; 
  but 
  we 
  did 
  not 
  observe 
  it 
  on 
  Loch 
  

   Garry, 
  where 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  beaches 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  its 
  habits. 
  

  

  The 
  O.S.A. 
  is 
  silent, 
  unless 
  the 
  name 
  'Plover-half 
  refers 
  to 
  

   this 
  species 
  in 
  Rothiemurchus 
  and 
  Duthil 
  (O.S.A., 
  vol. 
  iv. 
  p. 
  114). 
  

   Edward 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  1 
  Breeds 
  on 
  the 
  shore, 
  and 
  also 
  forty 
  miles 
  

   inland,' 
  which 
  we 
  have 
  ascertained 
  to 
  be 
  quite 
  correct. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  parts 
  of 
  our 
  area, 
  or 
  

   at 
  least 
  not 
  so 
  generally 
  distributed 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  watersheds 
  of 
  Spey 
  

   and 
  westward. 
  At 
  inland 
  localities 
  it 
  is 
  local 
  and 
  not 
  very 
  abun- 
  

   dant. 
  A 
  pair 
  or 
  two 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  here 
  and 
  there 
  along 
  the 
  big 
  

   rivers 
  and 
  on 
  suitable 
  patches 
  of 
  gravelly 
  ground, 
  even 
  far 
  up 
  the 
  

   valleys 
  of 
  the 
  Cam 
  districts. 
  All 
  along 
  the 
  sandy 
  coasts 
  of 
  the 
  

   Moray 
  Firth 
  it 
  is 
  abundant, 
  as 
  also 
  among 
  the 
  wave-like 
  ridges 
  of 
  

   pebbles, 
  among 
  the 
  Sand-Grouse-haunted 
  barrens 
  of 
  Findhorn 
  and 
  

   Culbin, 
  and 
  the 
  Tern-ground 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  — 
  bare, 
  stony, 
  and 
  gravelly 
  

   flats 
  between 
  the 
  sandhills. 
  Far 
  up 
  near 
  the 
  sources 
  of 
  Spey 
  and 
  

   its 
  tributaries, 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  ' 
  divide 
  ' 
  between 
  Tay 
  and 
  Spey, 
  

   the 
  Ringed 
  Plover 
  successfully 
  rears 
  its 
  young, 
  varying 
  in 
  numbers 
  

   with 
  the 
  seasons, 
  appearing 
  in 
  new 
  localities 
  one 
  year, 
  and 
  desert- 
  

   ing 
  old 
  ones. 
  

  

  Considerable 
  numbers 
  were 
  found 
  breeding 
  on 
  the 
  sandy 
  shores 
  

   of 
  Loch 
  Morlich, 
  on 
  the 
  channel 
  of 
  the 
  Spey, 
  near 
  the 
  Doune, 
  and 
  

   on 
  the 
  Dulnan 
  about 
  four 
  miles 
  above 
  Carr 
  Bridge, 
  by 
  Ilinxman. 
  

  

  Charadrius 
  pluvialis, 
  L. 
  Golden 
  Plover. 
  

  

  From 
  our 
  own 
  experience 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  abundant 
  species 
  

   in 
  the 
  northern 
  parts 
  of 
  our 
  area 
  during 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  except 
  

   in 
  Sutherlandshire. 
  In 
  many 
  parts 
  we 
  should 
  say 
  it 
  was 
  decidedly 
  

   uncommon. 
  During 
  our 
  rambles 
  on 
  the 
  hills 
  near 
  Guisachan 
  we 
  

   never 
  met 
  with 
  it, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  rare 
  at 
  Invergarry. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  

   widely 
  distributed, 
  and 
  appears 
  in 
  all 
  our 
  local 
  lists. 
  In 
  hard 
  

   weather 
  large 
  flocks 
  frequent 
  the 
  shore, 
  and 
  also 
  certain 
  fields, 
  

   but 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  case 
  only 
  very 
  locally. 
  

  

  