Volume 9 - Electric Scotland

CONTRIBUTION TO ORNITHOLOGY OF KINCARDINESHIRE 199
COMMON SHELDRAKE. Breeds where suitable places occur, but not
a common species.
WILD DUCK. Fairly abundant, and breeds on all the waters more
or less. Found about ditch sides often far from their breeding
haunts, both singly and in pairs.
I often flush them during a
walk, and a pond within a few hundred yards of my windows
is a favourite resort in winter. At a farm near by, a duck has
settled on the mill-pond, and become quite friendly with the
ordinary Pekins and Aylesburys of the farm. It accompanies
the other ducks indoors, and is quite tame. I myself have a
drake which has kept the company of the barndoor fowls for
years, and never attempted to escape, which it might quite
readily do, as its
wings are as nature framed them.
COMMON TEAL. Widely distributed, and not rare.
PINTAIL. Usually caught about the sea coast. One or two are
spoken of in rural parts, but the last recorded instance I have
is of a male shot at Johnshaven on 2oth November 1897.
WIGEON. Breeds in Fordoun (M.}.
TUFTED DUCK. Bred in Drumtochty Glen in 1899 (M.).
WOOD PIGEON. The county being a barley-producing one, vast
flocks can be seen in the fields. Of late an attempt has been
made to thin their ranks.
ROCK PIGEON. Colonies exist more or less all along the rocky sea
coast. Stray examples of dovecot Pigeons may occasionally be
seen flying out from the rocks, along with the true Blue Rock.
STOCK DOVE. Mr. Milne has got the nest and eggs in Fordoun
parish. Otherwise I have heard of no record.
PALLAS SAND GROUSE. "Irregular visitant," writes H. ; but in his
extended notes he indicates that the county had its full share
of the extraordinary irruption during the year 1863. There is
every reason also to believe the county was favoured by the
arrival of this rare bird during the summer of iSSS, when it
was noted in the other eastern counties.
PHEASANT. Abundant all over the county. Large numbers are
annually hatched out under poultry. Kincardineshire is a
sporting domain, and hence owns plenty of game birds.
PARTRIDGE. Same as Pheasant, and many nests are also hatched
out under barndoor fowls. The lower grounds of the Howe
are famed for yielding heavy bags of Partridges annually.
QUAIL. One was shot at Laurencekirk nearly twenty years ago. I
saw the bird at the time. This is the only instance of its
appearance I can submit.