﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  167 
  

  

  the 
  tops 
  of 
  the 
  ranges 
  of 
  middle 
  height 
  the 
  plaintive 
  wail 
  

   of 
  the 
  Plover 
  is 
  always 
  to 
  be 
  heard. 
  On 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   Strathdon 
  hills 
  — 
  the 
  Coreen 
  range, 
  for 
  example 
  — 
  the 
  Plover, 
  

   in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  is 
  very 
  abundant. 
  On 
  these 
  hill- 
  

   tops 
  I 
  have 
  heard 
  the 
  birds 
  calling 
  around 
  me 
  by 
  the 
  dozen, 
  

   and 
  if 
  one 
  but 
  remains 
  stationary 
  for 
  a 
  little, 
  the 
  inquisitive 
  

   creatures 
  come 
  up 
  quite 
  close 
  to 
  where, 
  to 
  them, 
  the 
  strange 
  

   figure 
  stands 
  motionless. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  duties 
  of 
  incubation 
  have 
  been 
  performed, 
  and 
  

   the 
  young 
  able 
  to 
  take 
  wing 
  with 
  their 
  parents, 
  the 
  Plovers 
  

   gather 
  in 
  flocks 
  and 
  betake 
  themselves 
  to 
  the 
  sea 
  coast, 
  

   where 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  during 
  autumn. 
  Some 
  remain 
  in 
  

   favourable 
  localities 
  all 
  the 
  winter, 
  but 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  

   leave 
  us 
  for 
  a 
  time, 
  making 
  their 
  appearance 
  again 
  early 
  

   in 
  spring. 
  

  

  Charadrius 
  helvetica, 
  Linn. 
  Grey 
  Plover. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  fairly 
  abundant 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  

   time 
  during 
  its 
  autumnal 
  migration. 
  Although 
  it 
  is 
  claimed 
  

   as 
  a 
  common 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  bird 
  by 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  writers 
  of 
  the 
  

   0. 
  S. 
  A. 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  question 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  mistaken. 
  

   Indeed, 
  I 
  find 
  that 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  " 
  Golden 
  " 
  Plover 
  is 
  

   called 
  the 
  "Grey" 
  by 
  people 
  from 
  whom 
  something 
  more 
  

   might 
  be 
  expected. 
  

  

  Charadrius 
  curonicus, 
  Gmelin. 
  Little 
  Ringed 
  Plover. 
  

  

  This 
  little 
  bird 
  has 
  only 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  been 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   " 
  Dee," 
  an 
  adult 
  male 
  specimen 
  having 
  been 
  caught 
  alive 
  in 
  

   Aberdeen 
  Fish 
  Market, 
  May 
  17th, 
  1894. 
  It 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  me 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  Smith, 
  the 
  late 
  superintendent 
  of 
  the 
  market, 
  and 
  is 
  

   still 
  in 
  my 
  possession. 
  

  

  Charadrius 
  hiaticula, 
  Linn. 
  Ringed 
  Plover. 
  

  

  A 
  common 
  summer 
  visitor, 
  and 
  breeds 
  extensively 
  among 
  

   the 
  sand 
  dunes 
  that 
  lie 
  along 
  the 
  Aberdeenshire 
  coast, 
  as 
  also 
  

   along 
  the 
  river-sides 
  where 
  suitable 
  ground 
  occurs. 
  

  

  Charadrius 
  morinellus, 
  Linn. 
  Dotterel. 
  

  

  Everyone 
  who 
  has 
  written 
  about 
  birds 
  within 
  the 
  past 
  

   forty 
  years 
  has 
  had 
  to 
  state 
  that 
  the 
  Dotterel 
  continues 
  

  

  