44 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



it, the true shoulder gun wild fowler is not so desirous of 

 obtaining large numbers of fowl as a warm and jolly piece 

 of wild sport ; the idea of record breaking should be only 

 a secondary consideration. 



Our next village of note is Bamburgh, where close by 

 stands the old castle of that name towering above its 

 surroundings. The coast from Budle Bay to Bamburgh 

 is not of a very entertaining nature to the wild fowler, 

 being out of the bounds of the famous Holy Island fowl- 

 ing grounds. Beyond the chance of some stray fowl 

 at irregular times, nothing further may be expected. It 

 is not likely that a shore shooter will long haunt a bit of 

 coast when he knows that a few miles in either direction 

 will find better sport. 



Bamburgh is the birth-place of the world-known Grace 

 Darling, who so heroically aided in the rescue of the crew 

 of the " Forfarshire " on the Fame Islands. Beyond 

 this, Bamburgh might be passed, as far as these papers are 

 concerned. In the sandhills north of Bamburgh a few 

 pairs of shell-ducks breed nearly every summer, but are 

 so wily in their habits that they cleverly escape casual 

 observation. 



Leaving Bamburgh, we soon come to Seahouses and 

 North Sunderland, which are close to each other, the 

 former being approached first. At Seahouses there is a 

 small harbour, chiefly for fishing boats and the like. Here 

 it is that visitors to the noted Fame Islands " take off." 

 Before describing the islands, which do not fail to interes 

 all the community at large, to say nothing of the 

 ornithologist and the wild fowler, it, perhaps, would be 

 more fitting to state that from Chathill, on the main line, 

 there is a light railway, which conveys visitors and others 

 almost to the scene of the starting-point for the islands. 



The Fame Islands in the winter afford capital shelter for 

 most kinds of our sea-ducks, amongst which the eider is a 

 prominent species. The sport of shooting these ducks is 

 usually practised from a boat, the fishing coble being the 

 most suitable for this coast. Boats can be hired at Sea- 

 houses ; but it should be remembered that a crew of at 

 least three hands is necessary to man a coble for this work, 



