22 WiivD Birds and their Haunts 



OCCURRENCES OF RARE BIRDS. 



DURING the migration peiiod — say from early 

 September to the beginning of March — many rare 

 specimens of bird tribe are seen, and oft-times 

 captured, on the North-East coast. They also aie 

 seen in flocks in the winter thus — 



The Little Auk, whose breeding-place is circum-polar — 

 for a celebrated Arctic traveller, Captain Fielden, found 

 it nesting in latitude 82 °, north — -was brought to the writer 

 on January 23, 1909, and on two previous occasions this 

 handsomely plumaged bird was captured this season. 



A very rare visitant is the Rough-legged Buzzard, and 

 it is now some five years since last seen on the coast. 



The Golden Eyes (Garrot) comes into view every year, 

 and there are evidences of its visit, year by year, in 

 the stuffed specimens exhibited in several of the cottages 

 of the fishermen of the north, along the stretch of coast. 



Another rare bird is the Shoveller. Indeed, amongst 

 the natives of a certain island it is affirmed that this 

 bird bred here a few years ago. One man states that he 

 received the sum of ten shillings for a single nest of eggs, 

 whilst individuals inform me that they used often to find 

 the eggs. It comes now but rarely, and appears to have 

 been scared away by those who should have protected it. 



Of the Pintail, two have been taken since Chiistmas last. 



Of the long -tailed ducks, I,oid William Percy, of Alnwick 

 Castle, shot the last from a coble outside the bar. It is 

 curious to note the vernacular term applied to these ducks, 

 for instance the male is called by the natives " Jacky 

 Foster" and the female " Jennie." 



Richardson's Skua is an autumn visitant, and is easily 

 distinguished from the others of the species by its swifter 

 flight and darker plumage. Its eggs are somewhat similar 

 to the true gulls. Very rarely does it take the trouble to 

 seek food for itself but lives almost exclusively on the 

 depredations of the gulls and terns. This species of gull 

 usually derive their entire food from the pursuit of other 



