NOTES AND QUERIES. 



229 



anders on the loch. 12th. Three Goosanders to-day. I watched a 

 Kestrel " hovering." 13th. About a score of Pochards on the loch. 

 The woods now ringing with the songs of the Mavis. 14th. Four 

 Goosanders. I heard the spring call-note of the Great Tit. 15th. 

 Four Goosanders. 16th. Eleven Mallards and four Goosanders on the 

 loch. 20th. Three Goosanders. It was very amusing to hear the Chaf- 

 finches attempting their full song. There were hundreds of them 

 trying it, but I only once heard the complete song. This was the 

 first morning I heard them. 21st. Six Goosanders on the loch. 

 22nd. A fearful blizzard to-day ; wind, snow, hail, and sleet. 23rd. 

 Storm continued this day. 24th. A beautiful day, with a cold wind 

 blowing. My attention was called to the arrival of the Yellow 

 Bunting by its song. 28th. Four inches of snow. A large flock of 

 Lapwings gathered at Loch Libo this morning, as about the only 

 bare place to be found. None of the birds were singing. 29th. Lap- 

 wings scattered about amongst the fields as if they had come to 

 stay. Snow nearly gone. 



March 4th. A flock of Herring-Gulls, about one hundred and fifty, 

 resting in a field ; nearly two-thirds of these were in immature 

 plumage. The Cuilew back in their nesting quarters. 9th. I learned 

 that the Eooks were busy building a week ago. 12th. Four Goos- 

 anders ; saw a Robin carrying nesting material. 13th. Saw the Red- 

 shank. Curlews now very plentiful. About two hundred Herring- 

 Gulls. 15th. A solitary Magpie flew overhead. These beautiful birds 

 are very scarce here. A Coot's nest nearly completed. 16th. This 

 is the last day the Pochards were on Loch Libo. They have been 

 much scarcer all winter than usual. 20th. The Golden Plover has 

 returned. 21st. Twenty Golden Plovers, but only one has as yet the 

 black breast. Meadow-Pipits appeared. 23rd. Six Goosanders and 

 one Little Grebe on the loch. Wagtails (species unknown) kept fly- 

 ing north-west in singles, twos, and threes in a continuous stream. 

 24th to 28th. Four Goosanders remain all the time on the loch. 

 30th and 31st. Four Goosanders again on the loch. Wheatear seen 

 on the 31st. 



April 1st. About twenty Fieldfares. 5th. A pair of Tufted Duck 

 on the loch. A solitary Goosander lay on the grass with one leg 

 stretched full out, basking in the sun. About two hundred Field- 

 fares. 7th. Two White Wagtails and the first Bumble-Bee. 9th. 

 Willow-Warbler. 12th. Three Willow- Warblers. 13th. Dipper's 

 nest with five eggs. This is the same nest which contained two 

 separate clutches last year, an experience which was repeated this 



