40 THE AUKS 



THE LITTLE-AUK 

 [F. C. R JOURDAIN] 



Although practically resident in the Arctic Ocean, from Baffin's 

 Bay eastward to Novaya Zemlya and the North Atlantic, moving some- 

 what northward during the breeding season and southward in the 

 winter months, this species occurs in most years in varying numbers on 

 our coasts. Sometimes only a few individuals are recorded from the 

 northern outposts, such as the Shetlands and Orkneys, 1 while again at 

 other times a great body of southward-bound migrants pours into the 

 North Sea and along our east coasts. Very few comparatively find their 

 way along the western side of Scotland, but occasionally they have been 

 recorded in fair numbers, though not approaching those met with on 

 the east. One of the earliest invasions of which we have definite 

 information is that of 1841, when, after several days of stormy weather, 

 great numbers appeared off the Northumberland and Durham coasts, 

 as well as off Redcar in Yorkshire, while smaller numbers found their 

 way along all the eastern counties south to Kent and Sussex. There 

 is good reason to believe that in favourable winters these auks can 

 subsist in the northern seas without finding it necessary to resort to 

 land at all. A succession of stormy days, however, prevents them 

 from feeding, and in their weakened condition they are driven 

 exhausted and starving on to the nearest land. Many in this state 

 are drowned, but some take to flight and drift long distances inland. 



Another visitation to the north of England took place in 1863, 

 when large flocks appeared off the Durham coast and at the mouth of 

 the Tees, and since that date several other important irruptions have 

 taken place. Of these, perhaps the most extensive was that of 

 1894-95. In January 1895 the weather was extremely severe, accom- 

 panied by snowstorms, and thousands of these unfortunate birds were 

 observed on their way south, drifting before the storm. Many were 



1 Of. note on Migration, p. 10. 



