THE ROCK PIPIT 



(Antlius obscurus) 



WHEREVER the coast is rocky and there is some little 

 beach left at high water, we may almost be sure of meeting 

 with the Eock Pipit. No part of the coast-line is too dreary 

 or too wild and lonely for the Rock Pipit, and its monotonous 

 chirp may be heard from the rocks at all seasons of the year. 

 In addition to the mainland there are few rocky islets in- 

 deed that do not contain this sober-looking little bird. I have 

 seen him repeatedly on the Bass Rock ; he is common on the 

 Feme Islands ; I have taken his nest on the wild islets of the 

 Hebrides, and met with him at St. Kilda. Everywhere his 

 habits are much the same. He is sure to intrude himself 

 upon your notice before you have been long in his haunt. 

 He is a restless little creature, and flits before you in short 

 flights from rock to rock, allowing you to approach him within 

 a few yards ; but if repeatedly alarmed or fired at, he often 

 rises into the air for some distance, and flies about in true 

 Pipit style, wavering and uncertain, now going some distance 

 out to sea, then returning to the land and perching perhaps 

 halfway up the cliffs, or on a big stone close to the flowing 

 tide. Although by no means gregarious in summer, you may 

 meet with many pairs of Rock Pipits along a short stretch of 

 coast or on the small islands. The food of this bird is 

 largely composed of insects, for which it searches amongst 

 the rocks and masses of seaweed left high and dry on the 



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