The upper parts are brown, spotted with white; under parts white barred with greyish or reddish brown. Its most characteristic feature is the tail, which is long and graduated, barred and tipped with white. Length about 15 in.; tail 7·5 in.; wing 9·2 in.
A migratory species, wintering in Abyssinia and Northern Africa, and breeding in Southern Europe, the Scops Owl has occurred as a straggler to our islands a good many times. The general colour is grey, barred and vermiculated with brown; it has two conspicuous ear tufts. The female slightly exceeds the male in size. Length, male, 7·5 in.; wing 5·8 in.
This large and fine species has been obtained several times in England and Scotland, but though some of the instances are undoubtedly those of genuine wanderers, it is so often kept in captivity that several occurrences must be looked upon as those of escaped birds.
It is widely distributed throughout the wilder districts of Europe, both in forest and open country, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.
The general colour is dark brown, mottled with brownish buff above, and yellowish brown streaked with darker below. The female is larger than the male. Length of male 24 in.; wing 18 in.
A single immature example of this species was taken in the spring of 1843, in Cork Harbour. The nearest breeding place of this species is in the Pyrenees, and thence eastwards it occurs throughout Southern Europe. The sexes are alike and their general colour is buffish brown; the head and neck are devoid of feathers but covered with buffish down, which is separated from the feathers of the neck by a broad ruff. Length 42 in.; wing 28 in.
This is another South European species of which two examples have been obtained, one in Somersetshire and one in Essex.
The adult is white with black primaries, the head and neck being bare of feathers and yellow in colour. The young bird is dark brown and does not acquire its full plumage for three years. Length 26 in.; wing 19 in.
Formerly this species used to breed regularly in many places in England, where large stretches of marsh-land suitable to its habits were to be found. A pair or two may occasionally still try to rear a brood in East Anglia, but owing to the drainage of the fens, it is no longer known in any of its former haunts. In Ireland, where it was formerly fairly common, its breeding area is restricted to one locality. To Scotland it has always been an extremely rare visitor. On migration small numbers of this species visit England and Wales yearly. The nest is a fairly substantial structure, built of reeds and grass, and placed on the ground. The eggs, which generally number five, are pale bluish white without any other markings.
In plumage this species varies greatly according to age; the adult male is dark brown on the back, head creamy white with dark streaks, wing coverts and tail silvery grey; primaries blackish. Under parts buff streaked with brown. In the female the tail and under parts are brown. Young birds are chocolate brown; the entire crown of the head is buffish white in the males, but in the females the nape only is yellowish. Length (of males) 21 in.; wing 16 in.
In England, thanks to the game-preserver, this species is now extremely scarce, and very few pairs, if any, are allowed to nest. In Scotland and Ireland, where it was formerly fairly plentiful, it is fast decreasing in numbers. On migration it is still not uncommon in the north, and the passage of stragglers through England is of yearly occurrence, but very few remain to spend the winter in any part of this country. It frequents large open moorlands, which, like all Harriers, it regularly quarters in its search for food. This consists of young birds, rats, mice, and frogs or lizards. The nest is made of roots, heather, and plant stems, and the eggs are bluish white, often faintly spotted with reddish brown.
The adult male is slate grey with white rump and white under parts, the throat and breast being bluish grey. The female and young are brown above with the exception of the rump, which is white; tail brown with five dark bars, whence the name “Ring Hawk,” which is applied to the females and young of this species. Length 21 in.; wing 15 in.
Although the commonest of our British Harriers, this species is nevertheless exceedingly scarce and local. It is amigrant, arriving towards the middle of April, and in some of the open moorlands and fenny localities in the south and south-east of England a few pairs yearly attempt to breed.
The sight of this grand bird, as it quarters the ground backwards and forwards in search of food, is an exquisite pleasure to the true naturalist, but in spite of the protection afforded by law, it is ruthlessly destroyed, either by the gamekeeper or the collector of British killed specimens, whenever seen. In habits it closely resembles the Hen Harrier. It nests on the ground, and its bluish white eggs are, as in the case of that species, often speckled with rusty red.
The upper parts, throat, and breast of the male are slaty grey; the hinder parts white, streaked with rufous on the flanks. Tail feathers greyish with five rusty red bars on all except the middle pair. The female, who is slightly larger than the male, is brown above and buff streaked with rufous below. The young resemble the female but are much darker below. Length about 18 in.; wing 15·4 in.
To Scotland and Ireland this bird is only a very rare straggler.
Years ago this species might fairly have been called common in our islands, but the gamekeeper, who has muchto answer for in the extirpation of many species, has not failed to wage war on this beautiful bird. If we still want to see him, as he soars round in graceful curves over his forest home, we shall have to journey to the wilder parts of Wales and Scotland, where alone he is still able to hold his own. Over the rest of our islands he is, as a breeding species, no longer extant, though every year a few migrants from abroad seek our hospitality, only to be killed by the first keeper that sees them.
The nest is placed either on a ledge of a cliff or in the fork of a tree, and is a bulky structure of sticks, lined and surrounded with fresh leaves, which are continually renewed as they wither. The eggs, four in number, are bluish white, marked with rusty red near their larger end. Both sexes incubate, and if the nest be approached, circle round and round the intruder with piteous “mewing” note. As far as game birds are concerned, this species is practically harmless, feeding almost entirely on ground game, frogs, and reptiles, so that no one can have any excuse for destroying it.
It is a very variable species; the general colour is dark brown above and below with a whitish band showing longitudinal dark stripes on the breast, but in some individuals there is very much more white. The young bird is usually paler on the upper parts. The female only differs from the male in her slightly larger size. Length about 22 in.; wing 15·5 in.
The Rough-legged Buzzard, which differs from the Common Buzzard in having the legs feathered to the toes, is a regular autumn migrant to this country, especially in the north and east of Scotland. In some years its numbers are much greater than in others, so that for a time it becomes common even down to the south and east of England. In Ireland it has only been noticed on a few rare occasions.
It is a common and numerous species on the Continent, breeding within the limits of the Arctic Circle, and wandering southwards in winter. In habits and appearance, except for the feathered tarsus, it resembles the preceding species. Length about 23 in.; wing 17·2 in.
At long intervals stragglers belonging to this species have been taken in these islands, all of them during the last three months of the year.
This species is a summer migrant to Central and Southern Europe, from whence it migrates on the approach of winter to Africa, large numbers passing down the Nile Valley.
The adult is of a warm brown all over, but the youngbird has the feathers of the upper parts tipped with buff, and the lower parts striped with ochreous. Length of male 19 in.; the female is slightly larger.
This magnificent bird has only been preserved to us as a breeding species owing to the strict protection afforded to the deer in the Highlands and some of the outlying islands off the west coast of Scotland. Thanks to this, it is slightly on the increase in some places, though, as it meets with a speedy death should it trespass over a grouse moor, it can never become generally common. It is a truly grand bird to watch as it soars and circles over the few miles of country to which it claims suzerain rights, and eminently worthy of protection as an object of natural beauty.
The eyrie, which is resorted to year after year, is placed on the ledge of a crag or more rarely in a tree. It is a vast accumulation of sticks, to which additions are made every year, and is lined with tufts of grass. The eggs, usually two in number, are bluish white, marked to a greater or lesser extent with reddish brown.
Its food consists chiefly of mountain hares, though it also takes birds, lambs, and occasionally the fawns of the deer; but although it does sometimes take grouse, they do not form its chief food, and certainly the numbers taken are not sufficient to warrant its destruction.
GOLDEN EAGLEAquila chrysaetus
GOLDEN EAGLEAquila chrysaetus
It does not chase its prey, but having marked them down, pounces on them as they lie.
In Ireland a few pairs still breed in the wilder parts of the north and west, but elsewhere in our islands it is very rarely seen, as it is not given to wandering far from its accustomed haunts. In England it is exceedingly rare, most of the reported occurrences being immature examples of the next species.
The general colour is a uniform dark brown, tawny on the nape. Except in its larger size, the female resembles the male. Young birds may be distinguished by the white bases to the outer tail feathers. Length about 23 in.; wing 24 in.
This species, which was never common in any part of our islands, is now only found as a breeding bird on a very limited number of stations on the west coast of Ireland and Scotland. In autumn immature birds are frequently observed round our English coasts on their southward migration.
The nest is placed usually on an inaccessible crag by the sea-shore, and is a vast accumulation of sticks and rubbish, which is yearly augmented. The eggs are two in number and dull white without any markings. The habits and food are similar to the Golden Eagle, but it occasionally takes fish, and feeds more readily on carrion.
Old birds are dark brown with nearly white head and neck and white tail. Immature birds are brown mottled with fulvous on the upper parts and with a brown tail.
This species takes about five years to become adult, and all varieties between these two plumages may be met with. Length about 34 in.; wing 25 in.
This species is common throughout the wooded districts of Northern and Central Europe, and has only occurred in these islands at long intervals, almost always on the east coast of Scotland or England. In Ireland it is practically unknown.
In olden times falconers (for this species was in great demand for hawking) used to liberate adults in the spring in order to procure the young when they nested, and in this manner there is no doubt that it became established for several centuries, but it is now over a hundred years since the last English-bred nestling was obtained.
It inhabits wooded districts, and seizes its prey, which consists of both mammals and birds, on the ground.
The adult is brown on the back; the under parts are white barred with dull black. The young is brown above and buff striped with dark brown below.
Length 20 in.; wing 12 in. The female is slightly larger.
Numerous and abundant throughout our woodland districts, it must be confessed that this species, especially when rearing its young, does undoubtedly considerable damage among the pheasant coops, and there is less to be said in favour of this bird than is the case with most of the other birds destroyed by the game-preserver.
Inhabiting woods, it is not so often seen as the wind-hovering Kestrel, nor is its flight powerful. When hunting, it flies low along a hedgerow or the outskirts of a wood, pouncing suddenly upon any hapless bird that may dart out in front of it. Birds form its principal prey, but it will also take mice, moles, or any other living thing which comes under its notice.
A substantial nest of sticks is built high up in some fir or evergreen. A former nest is often used, sometimes after a lapse of several years. The eggs are extremely handsome, being pale blue with very bold mottlings and markings of deep reddish brown. The same coppice is resorted to yearly, although one of the parents may be shot on the nest and the young destroyed.
The adult male, which is much smaller than the female, is slate blue on the upper parts, with rufous on the cheeks and ear coverts. The under parts are pale buff, barred with reddish brown, some individuals being much redder than others. The female is brown on the back and the underparts are whitish, barred with brown. The young, except in size, resemble the female, but the under parts are striped instead of barred.
This species is, however, extremely variable in colour and markings. Length of male 13 in.; wing 7·7 in. Female 15·4 in.; wing 9 in.
Although once so abundant that it used, some two or three centuries ago, to feed on offal in the London streets, the remnant of our indigenous Kites are now reduced to some dozen individuals in the more remote parts of Wales. The gamekeeper, the egg-collector, and even the salmon-angler have all combined to destroy this noble species, and even now, when it is far too scarce to do any harm, a vandal has recently shot one of the remnant, and owing to a fault in the administration of the law has got off scot free. It will not be until we have public opinion aroused sufficiently to protect our natural beauties that this ruthless extermination of any rare bird will be stopped. Certain species,e.g.Robin, Thrush, Nightingale, House Martin, etc., are so well protected by that opinion as to become almost too numerous in certain places. The shooting of many of our rarer wanderers can do no great harm if the lust for killing rare birds must be indulged in, but our rare resident or breeding migrants should never be destroyed. We cannotreplace what is thus killed, and these living bits of Nature form a heritage left us by former generations, which it becomes our duty to hand on to the future. For even in the immediate present the delight of seeing the living bird in its native haunts is not confined to ornithologists, but thousands, rich and poor, appreciate intensely the sight of one of our larger and rarer species, amidst its natural surroundings; and no censure can be too strong for the man who wilfully destroys that creature for his own selfish ends, whether for the sake of having its stuffed effigy in a glass case, or that he may bag a larger number of pheasants in due season. It is a crime as great or greater than the stealing of art treasures from our National Gallery.
The wide circling flight of the Kite is a magnificent sight, as it daily covers large tracts of country in search of its food. Offal and carrion are, or should be, the chief diet of this species, but in this country it chiefly subsists on small mammals and birds, becoming, at the nesting time, very bold and taking toll from the poultry-yard and game coverts.
The Kite was formerly common throughout England and by no means rare in Scotland, but for many years past it has been restricted to certain places, in almost all of which it is now extinct. It is only a very occasional wanderer to Ireland.
The nest is placed in a tall tree and composed of sticks, with a lining of any rubbish that can be found. The eggs, three in number, often only two, are pale blue, spotted and streaked with reddish.
The adult is brown on the back and chestnut below, with darker stripes. Tail rufous and much forked. Head and neck whitish, with darker stripes. Length 25 in.; wing 20 in.
This species, although a regular summer visitor to the valley of the Rhine and Moselle, has only once found its way to our shores. Its home is throughout Central and Southern Europe, migrating southwards from the more northerly portions of its range in winter.
The head and throat are whitish, streaked with dark brown; rest of the plumage brown, more rufous on the breast. The female is rather darker on the head. Length 24 in.; wing 18 in.
This migratory species, which is widely distributed throughout most of the wooded districts of Europe, visits us annually on both its spring and autumn migrations, and a few pairs generally attempt to nest in suitable localities. The greed of the egg-collector has sadly diminished the number of these summer residents, though with adequate protection moderate numbers might again be induced to spend the summer months in these islands.
The adult has the head greyish; upper parts brown; under parts white, barred and spotted on the breast. Length about 23 in.; wing 17 in.
This species breeds in the Far North, in Greenland, Jan Mayen, and Novaya Zemlya, migrating southwards in winter. A good many examples have from time to time been taken in Great Britain, chiefly, as would be expected, in Scotland and Ireland.
The adult is white, streaked on the upper parts with black, and sometimes slightly spotted below. Young birds are much more heavily marked. Length 21 in.; wing 14·5 in. The female is slightly larger.
This Falcon may be distinguished in all ages by the prevailing ground colour being white.
This species is confined to Iceland, though very closely allied forms may be found in South Greenland and Labrador. Its visits to these islands have not been nearly so numerous as those of the former species.
The general colour of the upper parts is brownish grey,becoming greyer with age, with pale buff markings. Under parts whitish, the flanks barred with dark brown. Length of male 21 in.; wing 14·5 in.; the female is rather larger.
Two examples of this Scandinavian and North Russian species have been obtained in England.
It is very closely allied to the Iceland Falcon, but the head is darker and the under parts are very thickly barred. Length 19·5 in.; wing 14 in.
This noble species, the king of Falcons, is still, we are glad to say, by no means uncommon round our coasts, though as a breeding bird it has been banished from most of its inland eyries. To those who still keep up the ancient sport of hawking, an amusement, which to our minds comes nearer true sport than any of its latter-day substitutes, the Peregrine is the favourite bird, and a grand sight it is to see this beautiful species “ring up” above his prey and “stoop” at him with half-closed wings and unerring aim, when pursuer and pursued come down to ground, the former to earn the reward of his prowess and the latter to a happy despatch.
PEREGRINEFalco peregrinusAdult (left). Young (right)
PEREGRINEFalco peregrinusAdult (left). Young (right)
Agricultural conditions have had much to do with the decline of this sport, an amusement which lacks the one-sidedness of a Pheasant or Partridge drive, and one in which the forces of nature are matched together.
The Peregrine, as its name implies, is a bird of passage, and visits on migration most parts of our islands. In the nesting season at the end of March or early in April it returns to its former eyrie, generally on some overhung ledge of a cliff on which there is a little earth, or more rarely in the old deserted nest of Rook or Crow. It adds no materials but lays its four beautiful yellowish eggs, which are thickly marked with deeper shades of orange and rufous, on the bare ground, or in the nest just as it was found. The young are covered at first with whitish down. Its food, which is always taken on the wing, consists of birds of all kinds, up to the size of a Crow, but Ducks, Sea-fowl, and Pigeons constitute, as a rule, its chief prey.
The young remain near their home for some time, till they are finally driven away by their parents, but the old birds, having once settled on a home, do not as a rule wander very far away from it. In its more northerly breeding haunts, however, both old and young migrate on the approach of winter.
The male, usually known in hawking parlance as the “tiercel,” is much smaller than his mate, and has the upper parts slate grey; the under parts buffish white, barred with black. The crown and cheeks are also black. The female is browner and more thickly barred on the under parts.The young have buff margins to the feathers of the back and are striped instead of being barred below. Length of male 15 in.; wing 12·5 in. The female is larger.
This species is very like a small Peregrine and comes to us yearly to rear its young. Although occurring throughout our islands, it is very local, being commonest in our southern and eastern counties. It very seldom nests north of Yorkshire, where it becomes rare. In the west of England and in Ireland it is almost unknown.
In flight and habits it closely resembles the Peregrine, its food consisting chiefly of small birds and insects.
An old Crow’s or Magpie’s nest is appropriated, and the eggs, usually three in number, closely resemble those of the Kestrel but are slightly smaller. Old and young leave us again in September.
The sexes are alike, and very dark slate grey on the back; chin white; under parts buffish, striped with black; thighs and vent red. Length about 13 in.; wing 10·5 in.
On moorlands and cliffs by the sea-shore, the Merlin is tolerably abundant from Wales northwards, but in the southof England it is rarely seen. The nest is a mere “scrape” among the heather, or when near the sea-coast a former Crow’s nest on a cliff is frequently appropriated, and it has been known to lay its eggs in old nests on trees. The eggs are very like those of the Hobby and Kestrel, from which they can with difficulty be distinguished.
The Merlin preys almost entirely on small birds; its flight is very swift and powerful and it is very bold, attacking birds as large as itself. Larks and Thrushes are its favourite prey, and on the sea-shore it is very fond of Dunlins and other kinds of Sandpipers.
Resident with us throughout the year, it nevertheless wanders about a good deal during the winter and becomes generally distributed, but the adults for the most part remain near their breeding haunts.
The adult male is slate grey on the back, throat white, under parts buffish, striped with dark brown. Length 11 in.; wing 7·8 in.
The female is browner above and with pale under parts. She is also rather larger than the male. The young resemble the female but they are more rufous in tint.
This species is commonest in Eastern Europe, and is gradually extending its range northwards; it migrates to Africa in winter. Some thirty examples have at longintervals occurred in this country, chiefly in the east and south.
The adult male has the head, throat, breast, and upper parts very dark lead grey; thighs and vent chestnut. The female has the head and nape chestnut; upper parts slate grey, with darker bars; under parts pale chestnut. Length 11·5 in.; wing 9·7 in.
The Kestrel, or as it is sometimes called, “the Windhover,” is one of the most graceful and harmless of our small Hawks. Year in, year out, he is with us, and his beautiful flight may be observed throughout these islands. He may be seen on any fine day high up in the air, remaining apparently motionless, but ever and anon keeping his position by a few rapid and quivering wing-beats, he will then turn slowly sideways and, revealing as he does so a red back and dark quills, he will describe a wide curve and again hang motionless in the wind. He is at last beginning to be recognised as one of the farmer’s most useful friends, and as a perfectly harmless adjunct to the Pheasant covert, and thus he is yearly becoming more abundant. He feeds entirely on mice and small rodents, and only occasionally on small birds such as Larks.
KESTRELFalco tinnunculusMale (below). Female (above)
KESTRELFalco tinnunculusMale (below). Female (above)
Towards the end of April the Kestrel repairs with his mate to his former abode or to some convenient spot near by. He does not build a nest for himself, but occupies the deserted home of a Crow or Magpie, a hole in a tree, if possible one which is open at the top, or the ledge of the cliff near the sea-shore. There, with little or no addition of material, the six eggs, of a beautiful rich red colour, are laid, but occasionally they have a paler ground colour and are blotched with deep red.
In about three weeks the young are hatched, and, as in the case of all birds of prey, are thickly covered with pale greyish down. At first their parents on bringing the food tear it up for them and allow the young to peck it from their beaks, but as they grow and their appetite increases (for their voracity at this age is enormous), the food is merely brought to the nest and the young tear it to pieces and eat it without further aid. Like several other birds, the Kestrel at such a time does not hunt in the immediate vicinity of his nest, and, except that he may occasionally be seen flying over, he is seldom “at home” to reveal the presence of his young. At the age of five or six weeks the young leave the nest; at first they do not fly much but remain perched near the nest and are still carefully watched and tended by the parents, while they gradually learn to catch and capture their own food.
At this time the family is always to be found near the nest, and that locality having been to a certain extent untouched, there is presumably abundant food for the young birds without their having to wander far afield. In this manner the summer passes, and as the days draw in and food becomes scarcer, the old birds become weary of their offspring and may frequently be seen fighting and drivingthem away. The young birds then take the hint, and leave the old folks at home, to wander forth all over the country and earn their living; many come down to the shore and emigrate, while others wander about till they find a suitable hunting ground in which to pass the winter.
With the advent of spring they have in their turn to seek a permanent home; perhaps they will meet with an older bird who has lost his mate during the winter and has a home ready, or perhaps they will inadvertently try to settle near an old eyrie and be driven away, but eventually a place will be found, and the inhabitants of a new district will be delighted, if they have eyes for Nature, by the charming ways and flight of their new visitors.
The adult male on the upper parts is of a deep chestnut, spotted or barred with black; under parts pale buff, striped with black. The head and nape are bluish grey, as is also the tail, which has a broad subterminal black band and is tipped with white. The female is more barred on the back and has the head brown, striped with darker. The tail is rufous, barred with black and slightly tinged with grey. The young resemble the female. Length 14 in.; wing 9·5 in.
Very few examples of this small Hawk have been taken in this country. It is a summer visitor to Southern Europe, but towards the east it breeds in higher latitudes.
It may be distinguished from the Common Kestrel by its smaller size and white claws. Length 12·26 in.; wing 9·2 in.
This species may occasionally be seen on our shallow bays and estuaries or on inland lakes during the autumn migration, but its large size and conspicuous flight soon call forth a gunner and it is either shot or frightened away. It was never common in England, but in the eighteenth century it used to nest in a few localities. Nowadays only one or two eyries are known in the British Isles, and these are situated in remote parts of the Highlands of Scotland and zealously protected. Its food consists entirely of surface-swimming fish, on which it plunges from a considerable height.
The male has the head white, streaked with brown, rest of the upper parts brown; under parts white slightly spotted with brown on the breast. Legs greenish blue.
The female is rather larger and more spotted on the breast. The young have buff margins to the feathers of the back. Length 22 in.; wing 19 in.
With the Cormorant we come to quite another order of birds in which the feet, including the hind toe, are completelywebbed. Their food consists entirely of fish, which they obtain by diving and of which they consume an immense quantity.
The Cormorant is abundant round all our shores and nests in colonies on rocky cliffs.
Its breeding places are very numerous and may be said to occur pretty generally wherever suitable localities are to be found. The nest is an untidy accumulation of seaweed, and the eggs, usually five in number, are pale blue in colour, but are thickly covered with a white chalky encrustation.
The young are blind at first and covered with blackish down. They feed on half-digested food, which they procure by inserting their head and neck into the parents’ crop. It is rather a sedentary bird, spending much of its time on rocks just above high-water mark; in diving it moves almost entirely by means of its feet, the wings being kept closely folded to its side. When searching for food it places its head under water, and on sighting a fish dives under with scarcely a ripple; on being captured the victim is brought to the surface and swallowed head first, and the search for another is recommenced. Having satisfied his hunger he mounts a rock and stands there erect, drying himself in the wind with outstretched wings, for in spite of their diving habits the feathers of these birds have very little power of resisting water, and after a prolonged immersion become quite saturated. It flies well and strongly with the head and neck outstretched in front and looks not unlike a Duck. In some places it nests inland near large lakes, and in such localities the nest is placed on trees.
The adult is of a deep glossy greenish black, which becomes more bronze in tint on the mantle. Many of the feathers on the head and neck are white, and there is a white patch on the thighs which is assumed during the winter and lost in May. The young are brownish and lack the gloss of the old birds; the under parts are whitish. They become adult in about three years. Length 36 in.; wing 14 in.
SHAGPhalacrocorax graculusAdult in breeding dress. Young on sea
SHAGPhalacrocorax graculusAdult in breeding dress. Young on sea
The Shag is widely distributed round our coasts, especially those rocky portions abounding in caves, on the ledges of which it breeds. It is a smaller and more local species than the last, and is never found breeding inland and rarely in colonies. In all other ways it is a counterpart of its larger congener, with which it is often confounded by local fishermen.
During the breeding season it is rather noisy, the note being a harsh “kraik, kraik.”
The adult is of a uniform glossy bronze green and wears for a short time in spring an upright and forwardly-directed crest. The young resemble those of the Cormorant except in size, but the tail has only twelve, instead of fourteen tail feathers, and this forms an unmistakable character at all ages. The absence of the pale gular pouch will also enable this species to be recognised when on the wing. Length 27 in.; wing 10·75 in.
The Gannet is a local species, nesting in enormous numbers on certain rocks which have formed their home for centuries. These colonies are pretty well distributed round our coasts, especially in Scotland and Ireland, but in England, the Farn Islands on the east, and Grassholm in Wales, are their only strongholds, a former colony on Lundy Island being nearly, if not quite, exterminated. The Bass Rock, one of the largest and best known of these colonies, is, in summer, a sight never to be forgotten; the whole of the face of the cliff appearing entirely white, from the closely packed sitting birds, who at this season are very tame and allow themselves to be stroked while incubating.
The nest is a loose accumulation of seaweed and other materials picked up along the shore. A single egg only is laid, which, except in size, resembles that of the Cormorant. The young when first hatched are black and naked, but soon assume a thick covering of white down; they remain in the nest a long time, not leaving it until they are fully fledged.
A party of Gannets fishing is a beautiful sight; they are not divers like the Cormorant but feed on surface-swimming fish, and in winter often follow the shoals of herring and mackerel. Having marked his fish from high up in the air, the Gannet folds his wings and drops on it perpendicularly, striking the water with great force. When not at its breeding haunts it keeps more out at sea than itsrock-loving congeners and is very seldom seen sitting on the shore.
The adult is pure creamy white, buff on the crown and nape, and with black primaries. In their first year the young are brown all over, each feather having a small triangular white spot at the tip. The adult plumage is not assumed until the fifth or sixth year, the plumage during youth being various intermediate stages. Length 34 in.; wing 19 in.
Owing to its shy, retiring, and wary habits, this bird is still fairly common with us. It spends the late summer and winter in marshes by the sides of sluggish rivers and ditches, patiently waiting for some unwary fish to come within striking distance of its formidable bill. Frogs, snakes, rats, and mice are also equally relished, and it is by no means dainty or particular as to its food.
In former days it was strictly protected and used as quarry for hawking, in which chase the Hawk would often receive serious wounds from the deadly dagger-shaped beak.
The Heron nests in colonies on high trees, the nest being built of sticks, lined with small twigs, moss, and wool. Five eggs of a uniform greenish blue form the clutch, and the young, which are extremely helpless when first hatched, are carefully fed by their parents on predigested food. The flight of this species appears slow and lumbering.The legs are carried stretched out behind and the head and neck closely folded in to the body. When disturbed or alarmed they utter a harsh “frank, frank.” Although usually nesting inland, they may often be found by the sea-shore in autumn and winter, especially during hard weather when their inland haunts are frozen over.
The adult is bluish grey on the upper parts; the head and neck are white with the exception of the crest, which is bluish black, as well as a row of dark longitudinal markings on either side of the neck. Under parts greyish white. Shoulders bluish black. The young resemble their parents but are browner and lack the long filamentous plumes on the back and base of the neck. The adult plumage is assumed by degrees, not reaching its full beauty till in the fourth or fifth year. Length 34 in.; wing 19 in.
The Purple Heron inhabits marshes in South and Central Europe, building a nest low down in the reeds, its nearest nesting place to us being in Holland. A good many examples, mostly immature, have occurred along our east coasts. On the back the adult is dark slate grey with rufous and buff dorsal plumes. Neck reddish, with dark elongated stripe down either side. Under parts rich maroon red. Immature birds are rusty red on the neck and upper parts, brownish on the under parts. Length 33 in.; wing 14·25 in.
Very few examples of this large species have occurred in Great Britain. It breeds on the Danube and thence eastwards in South Russia. The plumage is pure white, legs and feet black. This species has become much scarcer owing to persecution for its plumes, known as “ospreys.” Length 33 in.; wing 17 in.
This species breeds in Europe in the countries bordering the Mediterranean. It has only occurred in these islands on two or three occasions. Plumage pure white. Length 21 in,; wing 11·25 in.
A scarce species in Southern Europe, but breeding in the marismas of Spain. It is often found perched on the backs of cattle. Only known in England from one example shotin 1805. Plumage white, except the crown, nape, and back, which are saffron yellow. Length 20 in.; wing 9·5 in.
The Squacco Heron breeds in suitable localities throughout Central and Southern Europe, and has visited this country on a good many occasions, generally during the spring immigration. Head, neck, and back pale buff, the crown and nape streaked with dark lines. Sides and front of the neck buff; under parts white. Length 20 in.; wing 9 in.
This species has frequently occurred on our south and east coasts at irregular intervals, and on one occasion eight adult birds were destroyed during the breeding season, when they might possibly have nested. It breeds chiefly in Southern and South-eastern Europe, but a few pairs still nest in Holland and Northern Germany.
The crown, nape, and back of the adult are greenish black; the neck, tail, and wing coverts drab; the under parts greyish white. Length 23 in.; wing 12 in.
This species is abundant in summer throughout Central and Southern Europe, migrating to Africa for the winter months. To Northern Europe it is only a scarce straggler, but in the United Kingdom it has been obtained fairly frequently, especially in our eastern and southern counties, and there is little doubt that it has on more than one occasion stayed to breed. It inhabits thick reed-beds, and when disturbed either creeps away with great speed through the vegetation or remains motionless with head erect, in which position it closely resembles the reeds.
The male has the crown, nape, back, quills, and tail greenish black, the rest of the plumage buff, paler on the wing coverts. The female has the crown, nape, and back brown, and the under parts buff, streaked with brown. The young resemble the female. Length 13 in.; wing 6 in.
Owing to drainage and cultivation, the Bittern, which used formerly to breed in various swamps and reed-beds, especially in our eastern counties, is now only known as a migrant. It still occurs yearly on our shores, and ifunmolested it is probable that it would once more nest with us.
The nest is a heap of reeds placed on the marsh in the thickest part of a reed-bed. The eggs are usually four in number and of a uniform brownish olive colour. In the breeding season it utters a loud “booming” noise, but at other times it is a very silent bird.
The adult is buff, irregularly barred and streaked all over with black, except on the head, which is pure black. Sexes and young are alike in plumage. Length 28 in.; wing 13 in.
This bird was, curiously enough, first described from a specimen killed in Dorset. It is a purely American species but a good many examples have been taken in all parts of the United Kingdom. It may be distinguished from the preceding species by its smaller size, darker coloration, and uniformly brown primaries. Length 24 in.; wing 11 in.
It is curious that a bird so common and well protected on the Continent should not be of more general occurrence in these islands. It can only be considered a rare straggler, most of the examples having been seen in spring.