Part 24

It is an expert swimmer and diver, and though it flies well and swiftly with rapid beats of its small wings, it rarely avails itself of that means of progression. It feeds entirely on small fish. Early in April it repairs to the cliff where it is to breed, but it is not until May that the large single egg is deposited in some nook or recess of the cliff often quite hidden from view. If, however, suitable recesses are not handy, it will content itself with an open ledge. The egg is white or buffish in ground colour, boldly marked with chocolate brown and black. Incubation, which is carried on by both sexes, lasts about five weeks. The young bird when first hatched is covered with short down and is blackish on the back, white beneath, and yellowish on the head. It remains in the nest for about three weeks, by which time it is covered on the back and breast with downy feathers and has tiny wing feathers caused, as in the case of the game birds, by the rapid growth of the primary wing coverts.

At this age the young may be found in the sea, having presumably been carried down by their parents; they can swim readily, but it is said that unless forcibly made to dive by their parents they remain on the surface. In captivity, however, they dive without hesitation on the least sign of alarm, using both wings and feet, and progress with considerable rapidity under water.

At the age of about two months the flight feathers proper begin to grow, and then the autumnal moult takes place.

In summer the adult has the head, neck, chin, throat, and back deep blackish brown, a narrow line from the eye to the culmen white, and the rest of the under parts white. The bill is black and vertically flattened; it has two or more grooves near the tip that are whitish. It varies greatly in size, and is much larger in some individuals than in others, this difference being probably due to age. The sexes are alike, and in winter the chin and throat are white. Except in the size of the bill, the young bird resembles the adult after the first moult. Length 17 in.; wing 7·3 in.

THE GREAT AUK Alca impennis, Linnæus

So much has been written on this now extinct species that it need hardly be mentioned here.

The last living example was killed off Iceland in 1844, and the last British example was captured in 1834 in Waterford Harbour.

In former times it was abundant round Newfoundland, and especially on Funk Island, where the fishermen used to salt it down for food, and soon extirpated it.

In appearance it was like a large Razorbill, but it had very small wings and was quite incapable of flight. The lores and under parts were white, upper parts black. Length 32 in.; wing 4·25 in.

THE COMMON GUILLEMOT Uria troile (Linnæus)

In its habits, food, and actions this species closely resembles the Razorbill, and they are usually found breeding on the same cliffs. The numbers at a colony can only be reckoned in countless thousands, the birds sitting crowded together as close as possible.

This species lays its egg on the bare open ledges and never seeks the nooks and recesses made use of by the Razorbill. The eggs are very pear-shaped, a wise provision which prevents their rolling off the narrow ledges on which they are laid. In colour they are most variable; the commonest variety is greenish in ground colour with brown or black streaks and markings; cream varieties somewhat resembling those of the Razorbill are not uncommon, but they may always be distinguished by the _yellowish white_ lining membrane, whereas in the Razorbill the membrane is _greenish_.

The young bird when first hatched is covered with iron-grey down on those parts of the body which are brown in the summer dress of the adult. The under parts are white and there are a few bits of white down on the head.

In its habits and moults it resembles the young Razorbill.

In summer the adult has the upper parts, chin, and throat dark brown, and the rest of the body white. The black bill is long, pointed, and sharp, and not flattened as in the Razorbill. At the autumnal moult the brown on the chin, throat, and back of the head is replaced by white, and in this and the other allied species all the flight feathers are moulted at the same time. Length 18 in.; wing 7·5 in.

There is a curious variety of this bird known as the Ringed or Bridled Guillemot, which may be distinguished in summer by having a narrow white ring round the eye which stretches backwards for a short distance along the feather crease behind it.

BRÜNNICH'S GUILLEMOT Uria bruennichi, E. Sabine

This species breeds in the north of Iceland, Greenland, Spitzbergen, and on suitable cliffs throughout the Far North. Some three or four examples only have been taken off our shores.

In habits and appearance it very closely resembles the preceding species, but it may be recognised by the general colour being much darker and lacking the brownish tint of the common species. The bill is stouter and black with a whitish line along the upper mandible from the nostrils to the gape. Length 18 in.; wing 8·25 in.

THE BLACK GUILLEMOT Uria grylle (Linnæus)

In England this species is rare even in winter, but in Scotland and Ireland it is fairly common, and breeds in suitable spots round all the coasts.

The Black Guillemot differs in many respects from the other Auks and it is never found in vast colonies, though several pairs will often breed in close proximity. Some hole or recess in a cliff or among broken rocks on a steep slope is chosen and two eggs are deposited, which are whitish spotted with grey and brown and elliptical in shape. Both sexes take part in the incubation, and the young are said not to leave the nest until they are fully fledged. Their food consists of fish and crustaceans, which they obtain by diving.

The sexes are alike in plumage, and in summer are of a uniform sooty brown all over, with the exception of a patch on the wing, which is white. Bill black. Legs vermilion red.

In winter the crown is black marked with white, the back barred with black and white, and the rest of the plumage white. The young resemble the adults in winter but are rather whiter. Length 14 in.; wing 6·5 in.

THE LITTLE AUK Mergulus alle (Linnæus)

This species is an inhabitant of Arctic seas, breeding in Greenland, Spitzbergen, and Franz Josef Land, but it does not occur in Arctic America nor to the east of the Kara Sea. In winter it migrates southwards and a few are found round our northern shores every year, but in severe winters it often occurs in considerable numbers, and many storm-driven birds are found in a dying condition far inland.

There is a small white spot over the eye, but otherwise the plumage is sooty black on the upper parts. The under parts are white, but in summer the chin and throat are black. Length 8·5 in.; wing 4·65 in.

PUFFIN Fratercula arctica (Linnæus)

One of the most fascinating points in connection with this quaint bird is that for at least six months in every year we know nothing, or comparatively nothing, of its habits or whereabouts.

Towards the middle of April it suddenly appears at certain well-known haunts and proceeds forthwith to set up housekeeping.

A hole or cranny in a rock or, where possible, a rabbit-burrow is fixed upon as its home, and the same entrance is often shared by several pairs as well as the rabbit.

A weird little creature is our friend as he sits bolt upright on his doorstep, turning round every now and again to bill and coo with his mate, their large orange-red beaks and feet showing up brightly against their black-and-white plumage. The wings are so short that this bird finds some difficulty in rising from a flat surface, and when on the wing will often fly round in spiral curves in order to reach the summit of the cliff. In flight the legs are held spread out behind on either side of the very short tail and help to act as rudders.

The large single white egg being laid, both birds take their turn at incubation, and invariably sit with their head facing the entrance, and woe betide any one who by mistake enters the wrong hole, for their beaks are exceeding sharp and powerful, and they cling on with all the tenacity of a bull-dog.

They feed chiefly by night and spend the day resting on the water or at the mouth of their burrows. The food consists of small fry, and when feeding their young as many as three or four fish are caught and carried up in their bill at the same time. If approached by boat, they remain till one is just on them, and then suddenly dive. Under the water their progress is extremely rapid, and both wings and feet are brought into play, but especially the former.

The young are clad in very thick long down of a dark smoke-grey colour. As they grow they will often move about the passage, running to the entrance and meeting their parents, but never venturing outside, while if they meet another young one bound on a similar errand a stern fight ensues.

Not, however, till they are fully fledged do they leave the burrow and then immediately take to the water, on which they are quite at home, swimming and diving with ease from the very first.

The parents, whose plumage has lately been showing signs of wear, now commence to moult, and shed at the same time the ornate sheath at the base of the bill and over the eye, while the beak itself becomes dark and the rosette at the corners of the mouth shrinks. A few more days and by the end of August they have gone--where? They are never seen, and the only evidence of their existence is the occasional occurrence of a dead or starving individual washed ashore or blown inland by a winter's gale.

The head, nape, and the whole of the upper parts and a broad collar round the throat are black. Scales of the head and under parts white. Legs deep orange. Bill chiefly red and orange. The young resemble the parents, except that the beak is much smaller and the legs are pale flesh-coloured. The mode of growth of their wings is quite distinct from that of the Guillemot, the primaries being grown simultaneously with the rest of the plumage. Length 13 in.; wing 6 in.

THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Colymbus glacialis, Linnæus

During autumn and winter this species is by no means rare along our coasts. It does not remain to breed on any part of Great Britain, but breeds to the north-west in Iceland, Greenland, and North America.

It feeds entirely on fish, and the adults generally keep well out at sea, unless the weather be stormy, so that the individuals that frequent our shores are mostly immature.

In autumn the young bird has the feathers of the back greyish brown with paler margins; under parts whitish. Bill brownish horn colour.

The adult in its breeding dress has the back black, each feather having two square white spots; the head and neck are black with a purplish gloss, except for two crescentic bands on the fore neck, which are longitudinally striped with white and black. After the autumn moult the whole of the upper parts are pale slaty blue, the head and nape dusky grey, chin and throat white. This plumage is, however, worn for an exceedingly short time and is rarely complete, signs of the new breeding dress appearing before all old feathers have been cast.

The winter feathers of the head and neck are downy. Length 30·32 in.; wing 13·14 in.

THE WHITE-BILLED NORTHERN DIVER Colymbus adamsi, G. R. Grey

This species breeds in the Far North, wandering south in winter; two or three examples have been taken on our shores, and it is probable that owing to its resemblance to the preceding species it has been often overlooked.

The chief characteristic is the bill, which is yellowish white at all seasons, and the lower mandible is also markedly upturned. The white streaks on the transverse throat bands are much fewer in number than in the preceding species. Length about 33 in.; wing 15·1 in.

THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER Colymbus arcticus, Linnæus

The Black-throated Diver is very rare in England, and the few examples that are obtained are usually immature. In Ireland it has only been taken at long intervals, but in Scotland it breeds locally throughout the north and west.

The site chosen for the nest is usually an islet in some large loch, and the eggs, two in number, are olive brown, sparsely spotted with black and brown. The young when first hatched are of a uniform smoky grey-brown.

In its habits it closely resembles the next species. In summer the back is black, spotted with white, but the spots are not so uniformly distributed as in the former species. Crown and hind neck ash grey, chin and throat black, margined with short black and white stripes and a small band of similar stripes towards the upper end of the patch. Under parts white. The sexes are alike, but the females are slightly smaller. After the autumn moult the chin and throat are white and the upper parts ash brown.

The young bird resembles the young of the Great Northern Diver, but is much smaller and the neck is greyer. Length 27 in.; wing 11·75 in.

THE RED-THROATED DIVER Colymbus septentrionalis, Linnæus

This species is the commonest of the Divers and may be found along all our coasts during the winter months. In the breeding season, except for a few pairs that may still be found on some of the Irish loughs, it is restricted to Scotland so far as our islands are concerned.

The eggs are laid close to the margin of some small tarn or on an islet in a large loch, but the former situation is the one preferred; they are elongate and olive brown, spotted with umber. The young leave the nest as soon as they are hatched, but they are not very strong divers at first and receive all their food from their parents; in fact this species often nests on ponds destitute of fish, and journeys several miles to the sea or large loch daily for its food. If the nest be approached the sitting bird glides off and dives without a ripple, reappearing again some way off. The note is a loud and mournful "kark, kark, kakera."

In winter the adult is brown on the back, spotted with small white spots. The under parts are pure white, and head and neck, on which the feathers are very downy, are greyish brown on the crown and nape and white on the chin and throat. In summer the white spots on the back disappear; the crown and nape are slate grey streaked with black; the sides of the head and neck are pale grey and there is a longitudinal patch of chestnut down the fore-neck. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young bird in winter may be distinguished by the spots on the back being longer and tending to form arrow-shaped markings, and the feathers of the vent have narrow brown margins. Length 24 in.; wing 11·2 in.

THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podicipes cristatus (Linnæus)

In the course of these pages we have often had to lament the extermination or decrease of many species, so that it is a real pleasure to have to record that a fine species like the present has increased abundantly of late years.

This has been largely brought about by very strict protection, and although still local, there are many places where it is now common, and in Scotland it breeds on several lochs as far north as Aberdeenshire. In Ireland also it nests in several localities. It is practically a resident and may be found with us at all times of the year, but after the breeding season the majority leave their summer haunts and may be found in the estuaries and bays along the coast. The nest is a large floating mass of decaying vegetation generally well hidden among thick reeds, though occasionally it is placed in the open. The eggs, usually four in number, are yellowish white when first laid, but soon become stained to a dirty brown from contact with the decaying vegetable matter with which they are always covered when the sitting bird leaves the nest. The young when first hatched are dark brown, longitudinally striped with white; they are carefully tended by both their parents, who often carry them on their backs. The food consists of fish, crustaceans, and any other living food which may be found.

This bird may usually be seen swimming about in the centre of the open water, its long neck and low flat back enabling it to be easily recognised.

It flies well and strongly, appearing when on the wing rather like a Duck.

In winter it is dark brown above and white below, but in spring it assumes a chestnut tippet which surrounds the face; the crown of the head is dark brown, the cheeks and a stripe over the eye white.

The female is rather duller but otherwise resembles the male. The young in their first plumage are much like the adults in winter. Length 21 in.; wing 7·5 in.

THE RED-NECKED GREBE Podicipes griseigena (Boddaert)

On the east coast of England this species is not uncommon during the winter months, and in some seasons becomes quite abundant. Elsewhere in our area it is decidedly rare, and not more than five or six examples are recorded from Ireland. It is plentiful in the south of Scandinavia, the Baltic, and North Russia, whence it migrates southwards throughout Europe in the winter. In habits and food it does not appreciably differ from the preceding species.

The crown and nape are blackish, upper parts dark brown with a white patch on the secondaries.

Cheeks, chin, and throat grey; neck rich chestnut red; rest of under parts white. Length 18 in.; wing 7 in.

THE SLAVONIAN OR HORNED GREBE Podicipes auritus (Linnæus)

This is a northern species, breeding in Iceland, Scandinavia, and Russia, which visits our shores, especially in the east, annually, and in the north of Scotland it is quite common. Ireland is also regularly visited on migration every year.

In summer the upper parts are dark brown; the crown, forehead, chin, and tippet black, and a tuft of elongated feathers on each side of the head chestnut. Secondaries white, _except the three outer ones, which are dusky like the primaries_; neck, breast, and flanks warm chestnut; belly white. In winter the crest is absent; the under parts are white. The young resemble their parents in winter dress. Length 13·5 in.; wing 5·5 in.

THE BLACK-NECKED OR EARED GREBE Podicipes nigricollis, C. L. Brehm

Unlike the preceding species, this is a southern Grebe, stragglers of which are occasionally met with most frequently in spring, and there is evidence that it may have nested with us on more than one occasion. To Scotland and Ireland it is a very rare wanderer.

The adult in spring has the head and neck black with a triangular patch of yellowish chestnut feathers on the ear coverts; upper parts dark brown; under parts white; flanks chestnut. All the secondaries _white_, and _a good deal of white on the four innermost primaries_. Bill black, _up-curved in front of the angle_. In winter the ear tufts and black on the throat are lost, and at this season it closely resembles the preceding species, but the _white_ on the primaries will always serve to distinguish it. Length 12 in.; wing 5 in.

THE LITTLE GREBE OR DABCHICK Podicipes fluviatilis (Tunstall)

The Little Grebe is abundant on rivers, streams, and ponds throughout the country, but becomes scarcer in the north of Scotland. It must be tolerably familiar to every one as a short squat little bird that dives at the smallest alarm, only coming to the surface again some distance away, most often among the reeds and aquatic vegetation near which this bird is always found. The nest is a fair-sized mass of dead weeds floating on the surface of the water and generally moored to some reed stems.

The eggs, usually five in number, are of a uniform yellowish white, but soon become discoloured by the weeds with which they are always covered when the bird is not sitting. The nestling is striped, and fed by its parents on insects and small fish. These birds are seldom seen on the wing and hardly ever on land, but nevertheless they are well able to stand up and even walk when on shore.

In summer the plumage, except for the cheeks, throat, and sides of the neck, which are chestnut, is dark brown all over, rather lighter on the under parts.

In winter the chin, neck, and under parts are nearly white. The plumage of the young resembles the winter dress of their parents but is a little duller, and there is more white about the cheeks. Length 9·5 in.; wing 4 in.

THE STORM PETREL Procellaria pelagica, Linnæus

This is the commonest of the Petrels which come to our shores to breed, for as a rule these birds live far out at sea and only visit the shore to breed or when driven inland by stress of weather or on migration. About their migrations little or nothing is known, but in October and November this species regularly strikes many of our lighthouses and lightships, being attracted by the light. It is found along the whole of the countries fringing the Atlantic, and nests from the Faroes southwards, and also along the shores of the western end of the Mediterranean.

The single white egg is deposited during the latter half of June down holes in heaps of stones, in rabbit-burrows, or in any other spot affording suitable concealment. Incubation, which is probably undertaken by both sexes, lasts about thirty-five days, the nestling when hatched being covered with long black down. Their food consists of crustaceans, small fish, and fatty matter of any kind. They are nocturnal, during the breeding season at all events, only leaving their retreat after dark and returning before dawn, so that it is very difficult to detect their presence. The sitting bird, however, utters a curious note while sitting, and a strong musky odour pervades the burrow, so that by this means the nest may frequently be found. If handled, the bird emits a greenish oil.

In England it only nests sparingly on the coast of Wales and in the Scilly Islands, but in Scotland and Ireland its breeding places are numerous.

The adult is sooty black all over, but the bases of the tail coverts are white and the edges of the wing coverts are slightly edged with white. Length 6·5 in.; wing 4·7 in.

LEACH'S FORK-TAILED PETREL Oceanodroma leucorrhoa (Vieillot)

This species is a regular but not very numerous visitor to our shores every autumn, its numbers depending largely on the weather, and after heavy gales it is often found inland. It nests in small numbers on St. Kilda and some of the Outer Hebrides, and has also been found nesting off the coast of Kerry; and in time many other breeding stations will probably be found on the islands of our western shores. The single egg is white freckled with rusty spots. In its food and habits it resembles, so far as they are known, those of the Storm Petrel.

The adult is dark leaden black, rather more sooty below; upper tail coverts white; tail sooty black and deeply forked. Length 8 in.; wing 6 in.