a wind-battered hide Would you tell me what is a wind-battered hide? The team then selected donor bests and transferred the eggs to especially prepared incubators. They collected 20 eggs in all, taking entire clutches each time- it was early in the breeding season, so the females were likely to lay replacements. Then 50 days after our arrival, the moment arrived: i witnessed my first wild spoon-billes sandpipers hatch. I had been lying inside a wind-battered hide for 36 hours when I saw the first tiny checks emarge from the eggs. Thank you