Lindisfarne in February 



from the shore, move in to their feeding grounds at dusk. 

 Under ordinary conditions the duck feed in more or less the 

 same place throughout the night, but old wild-fowlers will 

 tell you that for three nights in each month — namely, the 

 nights preceding and following and the night of the full 

 moon — the widgeon fly backward and forward in the bright 

 moonlight as they change their feeding grounds. 



The tide is near the full as we reach Holy Island. At the 

 edge of the waters ringed plovers are endeavouring to find 

 some shelter from the gale, and grey crows haunt the shore 

 restlessly, uttering harsh cries. 



From the surface of the sea the gale is snatching 

 the waters in spindrift, on which the sun's rays form the 

 colours of the rainbow. The tide is at the full, and so high 

 that the Longstone Rock is almost entirely submerged, and 

 the lighthouse appears as though rising from the waters 

 themselves. I hear how, a few days previously, two fishing 

 cobles from Seahouses were caught, while fishing off the 

 Fames, in a violent gale from the south-east. For long they 

 attempted to tack home in the teeth of the gale, but ultimately 

 were obliged to run for shelter at Holy Island, where they 

 reached the harbour not without considerable difficulty. On 

 the battlements of the castle the gale blows with such force 

 that it is difficult to stand, and so strong is the land wind 

 that no swell breaks on the shore, not even the tiniest wavelet. 

 Close inshore a tramp steamer makes her way north . Look- 

 ing in that direction one can make out the haze hanging over 

 the town of Berwick-on-Tweed, and, farther north, the clear- 

 cut line of St. Abb's Head. 



Making my way round the coastline of the island, I can 

 see many birds swimming close inshore as they shelter from 

 the gale. Numbers of jet black scoter drakes, with beautiful 

 glossy hue on their plumage, ride buoyantly together. A 

 few of their numbers, swimming rather by themselves, can 

 be identified, by reason of the white bar on either wing, as 

 velvet scoters. It is stated that the velvet scoter usually 

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