240 SEA-BIRDS 



In the Channel Islands it was not known to nest until 1938, when 

 Roderick Dobson found a small colony on Sark. The first colony in 

 France was established on Tas de Pois in Brittany in about 1914, 

 and there are now colonies in that province also at Toulinguet, 

 Douarnenez, Prehel and Rouzic. 



The kittiwake has a purely arctic distribution in the Atlantic 

 New World, apart from an isolated outpost breeding group in New- 

 foundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence whose colonies are on the 

 same rocks as the gannet colonies of the New World, and a few others. 

 There is a separated subspecies in the North Pacific (see fig. 42, above). 



From its habit of building its nest upon a very narrow ledge or 

 foothold of rock on the side of a steep cliff, the kittiwake has little 

 room to perform the more spacious ceremonies of the larger gulls, 

 but much of the display is related to those expressions of the emotions 

 in gulls already described. The kitti wake's note is shriller, yet softer 

 and more pleasing to the human ear. It is, of course, traditionally 

 rendered as "kitt-i-wake," and on the whole this must suffice, since it 

 is extremely difficult to give satisfactory phonetic renderings of the 

 cries of birds, at least on paper. Fortunately they have been captured 

 for us extensively today by sound-recording specialists. 



Kittiwakes arrive at the breeding cliffs in pairs in late February 

 and March (or April and May in arctic latitudes). They frequent 

 the older nesting niches which become plastered with fresh droppings 

 before the new nests are built. Often the last year's nest has been 

 swept away by the heavy winter seas. But on the old site the paired 

 birds stand close together, breasts inwards and touching the cliff 

 face and each other. Frequently they break out into their mewing 

 cries, which seem to have a contagious quality, and may spread 

 rapidly through a colony until there is almost an uproar. Then 

 suddenly all is silent for a short space, and the wash of the sea on the 

 rocks below is loud by contrast. Small and dove-like, the kittiwake is 

 attractive to watch as each pair is roused to affectionate exchanges; 

 these consist of delightful movements, a graceful bowing, dipping, 

 lifting, and waving of the head to the accompaniment of the excited 

 mewing notes. The mouth is opened quite wide to show the orange- 

 red interior, and the bill is used in fondling motions. At a later stage 

 the male will place one foot upon the back or neck of the female, 

 pawing her gently until she submits; he then climbs into position 

 upon her back, but may rest there for a few moments before actual 

 coition. During this time the female turns her head up towards his 



