British Sea Birds

PEREGRINE FALCON

This bold and handsome bird, the Falco peregrinus of naturalists, in spite of much persecution, still survives on many of our rocky coasts, becoming most abundant in Scotland and Ireland. The favourite resorts of the Peregrine are precipitous cliffs, especially such as are constantly washed by the sea. From these, it not only sallies in quest of sea-birds, but flies inland to hunt for prey. The dash and courage of the Peregrine are proverbial, few birds, on land or sea, escaping from its fatal swoop. Near the coast, the food of this Falcon is largely composed of Ducks, Plovers, Sandpipers, Pigeons, Partridges, sea fowl, and rabbits. The flight of the Peregrine, when the bird is in the act of chasing its prey, is rapid, and full of sudden turns and twists, but at other times it is slow and deliberate. Witness the aerial gyrations of this species above its nesting-place, when it may be seen soaring and wheeling in lofty flight. Its note, heard principally in the vicinity of the nest, is a loud, chattering cry. This Falcon probably pairs for life, resorting year after year to one particular cliff to breed, even though the nest be robbed repeatedly. No actual nest is made, the three or four eggs, laid in April or early May, resting in some slight hollow in the soil, on an overhanging ledge in the cliffs. They are creamy-white in ground colour, thickly mottled, freckled, and clouded with reddish-brown, brick-red, or orange-brown, of various shades. When flushed from the nest, the female becomes very noisy, and is soon joined by the male, both then flying about in angry alarm, dashing past the face of the cliff from time to time. The Peregrine may be readily distinguished from the other indigenous British Falcons by its superior size. The upper parts are dark slate-gray, the head and moustachial lines are black, the underparts are buffish-white, spotted on the throat and breast, and barred on the remainder with blackish-brown. The Peregrine is distributed over most parts of the world, but has been divided into several well-marked forms or races. Two other Raptorial birds may be met with on the coast – one, the Kestrel, commonly; and the other, the Buzzard, locally.

RAVEN

This species, the Corvus corax of naturalists, still manages to survive, and is of tolerably common occurrence in many localities. Formerly it was commonly distributed over the inland districts, but now, especially in England, it is most frequently seen along the coast. Here, its favourite retreats and nesting-places are lofty cliffs. From these, its headquarters, it roams far and wide, not only along the shore, but far inland in quest of food. It is a fine sight to see this big sable bird dash out from the cliffs, and fly upwards on powerful wing, croaking and barking as it goes; or, better still, when male and female toy with and buffet each other high in air, uttering a series of shrill and, sometimes, by no means unmusical notes. The Raven feeds on almost everything in the shape of flesh, carrion, as well as living creatures, indiscriminately.

This bird is an early breeder. It pairs for life, and continues to frequent one spot for nesting purposes year after year. Formerly many Ravens made their nests in trees, but now the usual situation is some ledge or crevice in a lofty precipice. The nest, added to or repaired each season, is made of sticks, and lined with turf, moss, wool, fur, and hair, and is generally a large, bulky structure. Five eggs are usually laid, bluish-green, blotched and spotted with olive-brown and gray. The Raven very closely resembles the Carrion Crow in colour, but may readily be distinguished by its much larger size. This bird has a very wide distribution over Europe, Northern Asia, and North America.

JACKDAW

Of all the land birds that frequent the coast this species, the Corvus monedula of Linnæus and most other writers, is one of the most abundant and best known. Colonies of Jackdaws are established on most of our ocean cliffs, in some places, as at Bempton or Flamborough, mixed with sea-fowl, in others apart by themselves. The birds frequent these colonies all the year round, coming inland to feed at intervals each day, returning at nightfall to rest, in noisy cackling crowds. Sometimes the birds, where circumstances permit, may be seen feeding on the beach or rocks below their haunts. This bird is more or less gregarious all through the year, and some of its assemblages consist of several hundreds of pairs. Its food is chiefly composed of worms, insects, and grubs; but on the coast the bird picks up a variety of creatures from the sands. There can be little doubt that the Jackdaw pairs for life. The same breeding places, the same nests, are occupied year by year. It is a later breeder than the Rook, the eggs being laid during April and May. On the coast the nest is made in crevices and hollows in the cliffs; in Tor Bay a small cave is frequented, the nests being built in crannies near the roof. The nest is composed of sticks, turf, the stalks of marine plants, and litter from the fields, lined with dry grass, straws, fur, wool, and feathers. Some nests are much larger than others, the peculiarities of the site determining the size of the structure to a great extent. The four or five eggs – sometimes half-a-dozen – are pale blue, spotted and blotched with olive-brown of different shades, and gray. The Jackdaw has the general colour of the plumage black, shading into gray on the nape and sides of the neck.

HOODED CROW

This species, the Corvus cornix of Linnæus and ornithologists generally, is only known as a winter visitor to certain parts of England, but is a common resident in Scotland and Ireland. From October to March the Hooded, Gray, or Royston Crow, is a very familiar object on the low-lying coasts of East Anglia. Its migrations to this district from the Continent are extremely interesting. All day long the birds may be seen coming in from over the sea in flocks and parties, crossing from continental Europe along a due west course. Sometimes great flights of this Crow pour across the North Sea – columns of migrating birds estimated to be forty or more miles in breadth, and travelling at the enormous speed of more than a hundred miles per hour! All the winter through Hooded Crows frequent the salt-marshes or the grain fields close to the sea. The food of the Hooded Crow is not known to differ from that of allied species, the bird being practically omnivorous. There are few instances known of this Crow breeding in England, but elsewhere in the British Islands it nests freely. In many Scottish and Irish districts it makes its nest on a sea-cliff. This resembles that of the Raven or the Jackdaw, being made of sticks, twigs, turf, and stalks, lined with moss, wool, and other soft materials. Five eggs are usually laid, green of various shades in ground colour, spotted and blotched with olive-brown and gray. The note of the Hooded Crow is a hoarse kra, modulated in various ways.

CHOUGH

For reasons which have been variously assigned, the present species, the Pyrrhocorax graculus of ornithologists, has now become one of the rarest and most local of British birds. Once fairly common, not only in certain inland localities, but on the sea-girt cliffs, many of its colonies have now become deserted. It is a bird of the rock-bound coast, easily recognized by its blue-black plumage and long, curved, red bill. It is not necessary here to indicate the places where colonies still exist. The Chough is a gregarious bird, and many of its habits resemble those of the Jackdaw or the Starling. Its flight is often curiously erratic, the bird, after rising a little way, dropping again with wings closed. Upon the ground it runs quickly, its bright red legs and feet being conspicuous. The note is very like that of the Jackdaw, a chuckling or cackling chow-chow; hence the bird’s name of Chough, which, by the way, is often used with the prefix “Cornish,” although the bird is just as scarce in Cornwall as elsewhere now. The food of this bird is chiefly composed of beetles, worms, grubs, and grain. The Chough breeds in colonies, which resort to lofty ocean cliffs, especially such where caves and fissures are plentiful. The nest is very similar to that of the Jackdaw, and varies a good deal in size. Sticks, heather stems, and dry stalks of plants form the outside; the cavity is lined with dry grass, roots, wool, and similar soft material. From four to six eggs are laid in May, creamy-white in ground colour, blotched and spotted with various shades of brown and gray. When disturbed, the Choughs fly out of their nest-holes, and behave generally in a very Jackdaw-like manner. The Chough appears to be a sedentary species in all parts of its distribution.

ROCK PIPIT

In the present bird, the Anthus obscurus of ornithologists, we have one of the very few species of Passeres that are confined exclusively to maritime haunts. During the breeding season the Rock Pipit frequents the rock-bound coasts, often resorting to cliffs washed incessantly by the waves, rock stacks some distance from shore, and precipitous islands; but in winter it may be observed on the salt-marshes and stretches of sand. It is an olive-brown little bird on the upper parts, streaked with darker brown; the eye stripe and throat are nearly white; the remainder of the under parts are sandy-buff, streaked with brown. During flight the smoke-brown patch on the outer tail feathers is very conspicuous. During autumn and winter Rock Pipits may generally be met with in parties, sometimes even in small flocks, congregating on the rocky beaches, the cliffs, and downs, or, at low water, searching amongst the seaweed and shingle for food. They are by no means shy birds, but, if alarmed, rise in scattered order, and, after flitting aimlessly about, again pitch a little farther on, and resume their search. In spring the Rock Pipit separates into pairs, the low-lying shores are deserted, and the birds resort to their several breeding-places. In early spring the simple song of the cock bird may be heard at intervals all the livelong day, sometimes uttered as he perches on a big stone or clings to the cliffs hundreds of feet above our heads, but more frequently as he flutters in the air. The food of this Pipit is composed of insects, and worms, and small seeds. Although small and unobtrusive, the Rock Pipit is not easily overlooked. It flits before the observer in a wavering, uncertain manner, uttering its plaintive weet as it goes; then alights a little further on, and waits our approach, when once more it rises, cheeping, into the air, to alight far up the cliffs, or turn back to seek its original haunt. Although this species pairs early, the nest is seldom made before May. Few nests are more difficult to find than the Rock Pipit’s, hidden as it is under stones or clods of earth, or wedged into crevices of the rocks and cliffs. It is made of dry grass, moss, scraps of dry seaweed, and lined either with horsehair or fine grass. The four or five eggs are dull bluish-white in ground colour, freckled with grayish or reddish-brown, and sometimes streaked with blackish-brown. Two broods are often reared in the season, the eggs for the latter being laid in July. Many pairs of birds may be found nesting on a short stretch of coast, but no gregarious instincts are manifested at this season. The Rock Pipit has a very restricted geographical distribution, being confined to the European coasts of the Atlantic, including our islands and the Faröes.

MARTINS

Both the species of British Martins resort to many localities on the coast to breed. To the wall-like cliffs the House Martin, Chelidon urbica, often attaches its mud-built cradle. I know of large colonies of this Martin on the sea cliffs of Devonshire, where the nests are placed in rows, or stuck here and there in every sheltered niche. In the same manner the Sand Martin, Cotyle riparia, bores its tunnels into the soft earth at the summit of the sea cliffs, or into the solid banks of earth that in some districts take the place of cliffs. It is not necessary to enter here into details of the economy of these Martins. Both engaging little species add to the life and animation of the coast, as they fly to and fro and in and out of their nests. Then during the period of migration many Martins pass along the seaboard, and sometimes the observer may be fortunate enough to witness their actual arrival from over the sea, or their final departure across its lonely expanse.

ROCK DOVE

We here have another exclusively marine species, the Columba livia of Linnæus and most modern writers, confined to such portions of the coast as are precipitous and full of caves and hollows. The Rock Dove may be readily distinguished from all the other British species of Pigeons by its white lower back and rump, and strongly-barred wings. As may naturally be inferred from the cliff-haunting propensities of this Dove, it is practically absent from the low-lying eastern coasts of England, local on the south coast, but becomes much commoner further north and west, where the cliffs are rugged and lofty, and full of those wave-worn hollows and fissures that are the Rock Dove’s delight. As most readers may be aware, this species is the original stock from which the numerous races of dovecot Pigeon have descended. Curiously enough, this bird is inseparably attached to the coast; it is a rock-haunting species, and one which rarely or never perches in trees. Usually our first acquaintance with the Rock Dove is made as the startled bird dashes out of the cliffs, with rattling wings and impetuous haste. It is more or less gregarious all the year round, and may frequently be seen in flocks on the fields near its native cliffs. Its food is composed of grain and seeds of all kinds, and the buds and shoots of plants. Its flight is rapid and well sustained. I was told by the natives of St. Kilda that the Rock Doves frequenting the islands cross the sea every day – a distance of seventy miles – to feed on the Hebrides, and there can be little or no doubt about this, for St. Kilda contains little suitable food for this grain-loving bird. Its note is the familiar coo.

The Rock Dove is an early breeder, congregating in colonies on such cliffs as afford it the necessary shelter. Wherever possible the nests are made in caves; where these are wanting the birds scatter themselves about the cliffs, and place their nests in any convenient fissure or cleft. The bird pairs for life, and yearly resorts to the same breeding stations, some of the caves gaining a local reputation in this respect. The nest is placed on some ledge or in a cranny, and consists of a little dry grass, twigs, roots, or stems of plants, arranged in a flat plate-like form. The two eggs are pure white. This species may be found breeding all the summer through, and rears two, if not more, broods each season. The Rock Dove is found on almost all parts of the rocky coasts of Europe and the outlying islands.

STOCK DOVE

This Dove, the Columba ænas of naturalists, is very often confused with the preceding species, from which, however, it may readily be distinguished by having the rump uniform in colour with the back, and the wing bars broken up into patches. Mistaken identity is also rendered even more easy by the bird frequenting the coast, in just the same localities we associate with the Rock Dove. As most readers are aware, the Stock Dove is a dweller in wooded inland districts, as well as on the coast. I have, however, often remarked that the two species rarely inhabit the same parts of the coast, and that the Stock Dove shows preference for cliffs that are more or less densely clothed with ivy, stunted trees, and thickets. In its flight, shyness, method of searching for food, and habits generally, when frequenting littoral districts, the Stock Dove very closely resembles the Rock Dove. The note of the Stock Dove, heard most incessantly during spring and summer is, however, different, and may be described as a grunting coo-oo-up. At all times this Dove is socially inclined, and becomes, to a great extent, gregarious during winter; its numbers being increased during that season by migrants from Scandinavia. Its food is chiefly obtained from grain lands, clover fields, and stubbles, and consists chiefly of grain and seeds, berries, and various shoots.

The breeding season of the Stock Dove begins in April, and extends over the entire summer into the succeeding autumn. When resorting to maritime cliffs, the nest is often placed amongst ivy, in a rabbit burrow, or in a crevice of the cliffs, and is a mere platform of twigs, roots, or straws. In many cases a nest is dispensed with altogether. The two eggs are creamy-white, smooth, and polished. In inland localities a hole in a tree, or the deserted drey of a squirrel, or old nest of a Crow or Magpie, is usually selected. Several broods are reared in the season. This Dove is one of those species that is rapidly extending its area of distribution in our islands; the trend of its advance, however, being always northerly. Outside our limits the Stock Dove is found over most parts of Europe and North-West Africa, eastwards to the Caucasus and Asia Minor.

HERON

Although this bird, the Ardea cinerea of most writers, is usually associated with fresh and inland waters, it is frequently enough met with along the coast, especially about estuaries, salt-marshes, and such portions of the shore where pools are left by the tide amongst the rocks at low water. Moreover, it sometimes establishes its colonies on marine cliffs, or in woods adjoining the sea. Although of recent years considerably reduced in numbers, the Heron still justifies the prefix of “Common,” which custom generally attaches to it. There are few places round the English coast known to me where the Heron forms such a distinctive feature in the scene as on the wide estuary of the Exe, or, but not so abundant, on that of the Teign, a little lower down the Devonshire coast. Sometimes a score or more Herons may be counted here together, standing like big blue sentinels on the marshes, wading in the tidal pools, or flying in their slow deliberate way, above the flats. Many of these Herons breed in the valley of the Dart. Odd Herons may also be flushed here and there along more rock-bound coasts. The flight of this species is very imposing, witnessed to perfection as the bird passes to or from its feeding or fishing grounds, and its nightly retreat in some distant wood; or perhaps, better still, when mobbed by some Gull, or mobbing one in return. The Heron feeds largely on fishes, either those from salt- or fresh-water, together with frogs, water insects, and even small mammals. The Heron fishing is a perfect picture of still life, an ornament to the shore. As a rule, the Heron is a remarkably silent bird; he fishes, like all good anglers, in absolute quietness; but when passing through the air, on his frequent journeys, he often utters a short, deep trumpet-like note, startling and strange-sounding enough when heard from the evening sky.

The Heron breeds locally throughout the British Islands, its favourite nesting places being in woods and plantations, although a ledge on a cliff, or a ruin, is sometimes selected. In many places, where the Heron is sufficiently abundant, it breeds in colonies, like Rooks, and resorts, year by year, to the same localities. The nest is usually a huge pile or platform of sticks, the cavity containing the eggs sometimes being lined with turf and moss. Some nests are much larger than others, the accumulation of years, and most are whitewashed with the birds’ droppings. The eggs – three to five in number – are greenish-blue, and chalky in texture. When disturbed at their nests the big birds rise, crashing through the branches into the air, and sail about above the place in anxiety until left in peace. They utter few or no notes of any kind. When the young are nearly full grown, they may be seen climbing about the trees, using their beak to assist them in passing from one part of the tree to another. The Heron is a bird of very wide distribution, and is found throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and even Australia.

In conclusion, we may remark that there are many other land birds found upon certain parts of the coast from time to time, especially during the two great periods of migration in spring and in autumn. The above short list must not be regarded in any way as being exhaustive. It contains, however, the most constantly characteristic species. Many small Passerine birds frequent the shore – especially on our eastern and southern seaboard, but they are arrivals from other lands, and often passing south or north, as the case may be, to yet more distant haunts. Among the more prominent of these, we may mention the Goldcrest, which often abounds on the coasts of the German Ocean; the Skylark and the Starling, that come each year in countless hosts; the various Finches and Thrushes, that visit us each season to pass the winter in our land. Then, more locally, there is the Snow Bunting and the Shore Lark – Arctic birds that visit us more or less commonly. The Common Bunting, too, is a common resident on many parts of the littoral area. Of other species we may mention the Short-eared Owl, the Sparrow-Hawk, the Woodcock – migrants from over the sea, tarrying but a short time to rest near the shore, before speeding inland, or yet further south. The Rook obtains much of its food from the sands in littoral districts; the Starling often congregates in vast flocks on the saltings. I have even seen the Rook take its food from the surface of the sea, precisely in the same manner as a Gull.

CHAPTER VIII.

MIGRATION ON THE COAST

The Best Coasts for Observing Migration – Migration of Species in Present Volume – Order of Appearance of Migratory Birds – In Spring – In Autumn – Spring Migration of Birds on the Coast – The Earliest Species to Migrate – Departure of Winter Visitors – Coasting Migrants – Arrival of Summer Visitors – Duration of Spring Migration – Autumn Migration of Birds on the Coast – The Earliest Arrivals – Departure of our Summer Birds – Arrival of Shore Birds – Direction of Flight – Change in this Direction to East – The Vast Rushes of Birds across the German Ocean – The Perils of Migration – Birds at Lighthouses and Light Vessels – Netting Birds – Rare Birds

In order to make the subject of Bird-life on the Coast complete, it is necessary for us briefly to sketch the phenomenon of Migration as it may be studied on the shore. A person could select no better situation for the observation of this grand avine movement than the coast. Unfortunately, however, all coasts are not equally favoured in this respect, and unless a proper selection of locality be made, the observer in quest of information will meet with nothing but disappointment. Unquestionably the best portion of the British coast-line for the study of bird migration is that washed by the German Ocean and the English Channel. The western districts are everywhere less favourable than the eastern, due partly to their much more isolated position, and the wider extent of the frontier seas. Two reaches of the British coast deserve special mention for the numbers of migrant birds that frequent them. These are the coasts between the Humber and the Thames, and the seaboard of Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent. The observer of migration on the coast will do well to bear in mind the following facts. Many birds do not absolutely confine their flight to the indentations of the coast, but fly from one headland to another, so that on the coasts of the intervening bays but little migration may be witnessed. Headlands appear everywhere to be exceptionally favourable points for observation. Rock-bound coasts, again, are not so much frequented by migrants as those that are low-lying, or present a considerable area of beach; whilst there is some evidence to suggest that where the shore is composed of cliffs falling sheer to the water, fjords and river valleys are exceptionally favoured. During the migration period, both in spring and autumn, the early hours of morning, or the dusk of evening, will be found to reward observation best. Due regard should also be paid to the direction of the wind, and the prevailing state of the weather – a change in either being often followed by migratory movement.

A very large percentage of the birds described in the present volume are migratory, although the seasonal movements of many of the species cannot be remarked, to any great extent, by the wanderer along the coast. Such thoroughly aquatic species as the Auks, the Petrels, the Divers, and the Grebes, move south or north, according to season, some distance from the land; and it is often only by the chance of rough weather driving these birds near to the land, that we are enabled to learn that their migrations are in progress, or that certain species have once more returned to our area for their winter or summer sojourn therein. The Ducks, Geese, and Swans, are birds of migratory habits, and in certain localities much of their seasonal movements may be observed from the shore. Then, again, the Gulls and Terns, although often migrating some distance from the land, may not unfrequently be seen passing up or down the coast on passage. This is especially the case with the Black-headed Gull, and the various species of Terns. These latter birds are often seen, in spring and autumn, in flocks of varying size, flying north or south, close inshore, fishing as they go, sometimes remaining a day here or there, where food chances to be plentiful. The migrations of certain species of land birds that reside in littoral districts are also pronounced and regular, and easily remarked along the coast; the arrival and departure of Martins and Swallows being a specially interesting feature. But the most remarkable birds of all, so far as concerns migration, are those to which our second chapter is devoted, viz., the Plovers and the Sandpipers. Perhaps in this group more than in any other, the habit of migration is most strongly displayed. The journeys some of these birds undertake in spring and autumn can only be described as marvellous. The Sanderling breeds in the North Polar Basin, and in winter is found in the Malay Archipelago, in the Cape Colony, and in Patagonia; the Knot has a similar distribution in summer, but in winter visits such enormously remote localities as Australia, New Zealand, the Cape Colony, and Brazil! Well may these little birds excite exceptional feelings of interest in the observer who watches them, each recurring season, running blithely over the sands and the mud-flats, when he remembers the distances they travel.