226 BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



the sea-weed covered rocks on the beach. It is a 

 wild and wary bird, darting out of the cliffs with 

 unexpected haste, and soon reaching safer quarters. 

 This Dove also frequents the old workings of the 

 iron-mines on the coast between Brixham and 

 Kingswear. It nests in the fissures and holes in 

 the rocks, in rabbit burrows on the cliffs, and even 

 beneath gorse and other dense scrub in those 

 situations. Stock Doves (and occasionally Part- 

 ridges) breed with the Jackdaws under the thickets 

 on the cliffs at Broad Sands, and odd pairs of these 

 Doves may be met with on the cliffs at Watcombe, 

 Daddy Hole, and between Paignton and Brixham 

 right round Tor Bay. The grunting note of this 

 Dove is particularly loud and persistent in spring, 

 continuing through the summer. Several broods 

 are reared in the year. 



Our Devonshire cliffs are also the haunts of 

 several of the smaller Passeres. Both species of 

 Martin find in them a favourite resort. The 

 House Martin frequents the hard limestone cliffs 

 especially, to which it can readily attach its cup- 

 like nest. The Sand Martin regularly resorts to 

 the red sandstone cliffs and steep banks, which 

 are easily tunnelled for nesting purposes. This 



