SULE SKERRY, ORKNEY, AND ITS BIRD-LIFE 93 



haunts. The Turnstones in particular are great favourites, 

 and are most carefully preserved. They have become 

 almost as tame as barn-door fowls, and will come from all 

 parts of the island for food when they see any one outside 

 after dinner. I am perfectly satisfied the same birds come 

 back to us year after year. In July and August occasional 

 flocks call when passing south before our own birds return, 

 and are easily recognised as strangers by their fear of man's 

 approach. But immediately our friends return they are at 

 home, turning small stones, in search of worms, close to the 

 Tower. About 40 to 50 always winter on the island. 



The Purple Sandpiper spends most of its time along 

 the seashore, and though quite fearless of man's approach, is 

 not so sociable. 



The Snipe and Curlew are winter residents arriving in 

 August and September, and departing in April. In other 

 parts of Orkney the familiar cry of the Snipe, only heard in 

 spring and summer, is first heard about the end of February 

 or ist March I heard it on 26th February last year at 

 Pentland Skerries but though they are on Sule Skerry till 

 April, this cry is never heard on the island. 



The Redshank is a very erratic visitor, being seen 

 almost in every month of the year for a day or two at the 

 time. August, September, and October are their favourite 

 months. 



The Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are fairly common in 

 November, December, and January. In November immature 

 specimens of the former are seen every year, and in December 

 a few adult birds never fail to turn up. On 25th December 

 1901 a flock of over 50, nearly all old birds, were seen 

 resting all day on the outlying rocks. Most of them left on 

 the 26th, but / remained till the 3Oth. The Iceland Gull is 

 not so common a visitor. 



Flocks of the Little Auk usually make their appearance 

 off the island in January, especially after a northerly gale. 

 On 1 6th January 1898, I found one dead at the foot of 

 the Tower. 



IV. OCCASIONAL SPRING AND SUMMER VISITORS,- 

 Lesser Black - backed Gull (Lams fuscns], Chaffinch 

 (Fringilla ccelebs), Jackdaw (Corvus moneduld), Rook (C. 



