[CHAPTER VII.]
LITTORAL LAND BIRDS. Littoral Land Birds—White-tailed Eagle—Peregrine Falcon—Raven—Jackdaw—Hooded Crow—Chough—Rock Pipit—Martins—Rock Dove—Stock Dove—Heron—Various other Species 259-278
[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 279-295
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
[Black-backed Gull and Common Tern] Faces page 15 [Ruffs—Sparring] ” ” 63 [Guillemot and Razorbill] ” ” 125 [Great Northern Diver] ” ” 153 [Tufted Duck] ” ” 187 [The Stormy Petrel] ” ” 243 [The Chough] ” ” 261 [Migration Time (on the Friskney foreshore)] ” ” 281
Gulls and Terns
BLACK-BACKED GULL AND COMMON TERN. Chapter i.
CHAPTER I.
GULLS AND TERNS.
The Gull Family—Changes of Plumage—Characteristics—Great Black-backed Gull—Lesser Black-backed Gull—Herring Gull—Common Gull—Kittiwake—Black-headed Gull—Skuas—Great Skua—Richardson’s Skua—Terns—Sandwich Tern—Common Tern—Arctic Tern—Roseate Tern—Lesser Tern—Black Tern.
Amongst the many natural objects that confront the visitor to the sea, there are none more readily detected than birds. The wide waters of the ocean and its varied coast-line of cliff or sand, shingle or mud-flat, are the haunts of many birds of specialised type. Many of these birds are only found on or near the sea; they are as inseparably associated with it as the beautiful shells and seaweeds and anemones themselves. Some of these birds are common and widely distributed; others are scarce or local in their habitat; some frequent the shore, others the water; whilst many are equally at home on both. Again, many of them are migratory, or of wandering habits; some but summer visitors, others winter refugees. It matters little, however, what the season may be, for many interesting birds are sure to be met with by the sea; the wide waters and wet tide-swept shores are a perennial feeding place, and a safe and congenial refuge.