SULE SKERRY, ORKNEY, AND ITS BIRD LIFE 21 



Occasionally one or two take a trip ashore, only leaving the 

 ship when within a mile of the Orkney land. 



Amongst the residents we may class the Eider Ducks 

 {Somateria uiollissiina}. They are about the island almost 

 the whole year. In November and December very few are 

 to be seen, but early in January crowds of them make their 

 appearance, spending their whole time afloat, no matter how 

 stormy the weather may be. In June the duck and drake 

 come ashore and select the spot for their nest, and that is 

 the only occasion on which the male takes any active part 

 in domestic duties. The nest is built sometimes on the 

 bare rock, but generally amongst the grass, and consists of, 

 as a foundation, some coarse grass, the famous down being 

 added as the eggs are laid. Five and six are the usual 

 number of eggs laid, and incubation is complete in a month. 

 I have often approached the duck so closely at this stage 

 as to be able to stroke it with my hand. Immediately the 

 young are hatched they leave the nest for the sea, where 

 they are at home at once. 



II. REGULAR SUMMER VISITORS. Under this heading 

 comes : Puffin (Fratercula arcticci), Razorbill (Alca torda), 

 Common Guillemot (Uria troile], Black Guillemot (U. grylle}, 

 Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyld], Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura), 

 Oyster-catcher (Hcematopus ostralegus\ Whimbrel (Numenius 

 phceopus), and Corncrake (Crex crex]. 



The Puffin may be said to be the bird of the island. 

 To give any idea of their numbers is an impossible task, 

 for when on the island they are scarcely ever at rest. The 

 air is black with them, the ground is covered with them, 

 and the sea is alive with them. They are here, there, and 

 everywhere. They first make their appearance early in 

 April, and spend 8 to I 2 days at sea before landing, coming 

 close in shore in the forenoon, and disappearing at night. 

 The day they land they begin by flying in clouds round the 

 place, and having made a survey to see that all is right, 

 they begin to drop in hundreds till in half-an-hour every 

 stone and rock is covered. The exact dates of their arrival 

 are: 1896. First seen I5th April, landed 2Oth. 1897. 

 First seen I4th April, landed 22nd. 1898. First seen 8th 



