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  BIRDS. 
  

  

  inhospitable 
  shores 
  of 
  Lochandorb, 
  and 
  the 
  warmer, 
  shaded 
  lochs 
  

   like 
  Loch 
  Moy, 
  Loch 
  Spynie, 
  or 
  Lochnabo, 
  and 
  among 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   wooded 
  tracts 
  of 
  Spey. 
  Oyster-catchers 
  usually 
  arrive 
  upon 
  the 
  

   Spey 
  about 
  the 
  first 
  week 
  in 
  April. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  summer 
  Oyster-catchers 
  collect 
  in 
  family 
  parties 
  

   on 
  the 
  gravel-beds 
  or 
  adjoining 
  haugh-lands, 
  even 
  resting 
  at 
  times 
  

   upon 
  the 
  grassy 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  hills 
  : 
  then, 
  in 
  parties 
  of 
  a 
  dozen, 
  

   becoming 
  more 
  noisy 
  and 
  restless, 
  flying 
  higher, 
  and 
  taking 
  longer 
  

   flights. 
  Finally, 
  the 
  whole 
  Sea-pyet 
  population 
  of 
  each 
  valley 
  

   gathers 
  in 
  scores, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  hundreds, 
  near 
  the 
  estuaries, 
  and 
  

   these 
  again 
  combine 
  and 
  repair 
  to 
  favourite 
  mussel-scalps 
  and 
  

   feeding-grounds, 
  remaining 
  thus 
  in 
  hundreds, 
  and 
  even 
  thousands, 
  

   for 
  mutual 
  company 
  and 
  protection 
  throughout 
  the 
  winter 
  

   months. 
  The 
  Oyster-catcher 
  is 
  a 
  noisy, 
  'pedantic-looking 
  old 
  

   gentleman' 
  — 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  heard 
  him 
  described 
  — 
  'with 
  a 
  white 
  

   waistcoat, 
  tail-coat, 
  and 
  very 
  red 
  nose, 
  and 
  red 
  gouty 
  feet, 
  but 
  a 
  

   gentlemanly 
  bird 
  withal.' 
  1 
  

  

  So 
  much 
  for 
  the 
  autumn 
  migration 
  of 
  the 
  Oyster-catcher. 
  

   Now, 
  in 
  1895 
  we 
  had 
  a 
  favourable 
  opportunity 
  of 
  witnessing 
  the 
  

   arrival 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  at 
  its 
  nesting 
  quarters 
  in 
  another 
  

   portion 
  of 
  our 
  area. 
  

  

  At 
  Drachlaw 
  Farm, 
  near 
  Turriff, 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  Deveron, 
  upon 
  

   the 
  16th 
  April, 
  a 
  single 
  bird 
  was 
  seen 
  flying 
  north 
  at 
  an 
  eleva- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  2000 
  feet, 
  crying 
  loudly 
  and 
  continuously. 
  We 
  

   watched 
  it 
  for 
  about 
  two 
  miles, 
  judging 
  our 
  distances 
  by 
  

   known 
  landmarks. 
  It 
  disappeared, 
  maintaining 
  the 
  same 
  lofty 
  

   elevation. 
  Then, 
  on 
  the 
  following 
  day, 
  five 
  were 
  observed, 
  also 
  

   flying 
  north 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  height 
  above 
  the 
  valley. 
  Two 
  

   separated 
  from 
  the 
  others 
  when 
  the 
  party 
  was 
  almost 
  directly 
  

   over 
  Drachlaw 
  Haugh, 
  and 
  suddenly, 
  crying 
  once 
  or 
  twice 
  — 
  all 
  

   had 
  been 
  perfectly 
  silent 
  before 
  — 
  descended 
  spirally 
  with 
  a 
  curious 
  

   'cork-screw 
  flight,' 
  if 
  we 
  may 
  so 
  express 
  it, 
  and 
  alighted 
  to- 
  

   gether 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  grass 
  field 
  across 
  the 
  river, 
  about 
  two 
  hundred 
  

   yards 
  from 
  our 
  post 
  of 
  observation. 
  For 
  a 
  few 
  seconds 
  — 
  or 
  say 
  

   half 
  a 
  minute 
  — 
  they 
  preened 
  their 
  feathers 
  and 
  then 
  lay 
  down, 
  

   bellies 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  there 
  they 
  slept 
  the 
  better 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  forenoon. 
  

  

  1 
  The 
  original 
  description 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  pen 
  of 
  our 
  friend 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  O. 
  Wilson, 
  and 
  is 
  

  

  somewhat 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  above. 
  

  

  