THE SHORE BIRDS. 



bird have occurred in Lancashire, one at Trafford 

 in 1857, and Mr. C. S. Gregson, writing in Sep- 

 tember, 1882, says he recently got two alive and 

 six dead, caught in gins amongst sky larks, this 

 being on the coast near Formby." 



TURNSTONE. Occasionally shot by the fowlers. 



OYSTER CATCHER. A resident species, breeding occasionally in some of 

 (Haematopus the more secluded slacks,* but only in very small 



ostraltgus.) 



numbers. The writer once bagged nine at a single 

 flying shot, with a heavy duck gun. 



SCAUP DUCK, -f- Stand on the High Channel bank, 200 yards to 

 the South of the Formby Lifeboat House at day- 

 break on a Winter's morning, and, if no one has 

 been there before you, J you will see the channel 

 covered with these ducks ; and they will be joined 

 half-an-hour later by the mallards and widgeon which 

 have spent the night feeding on the moss. Local 

 name "wigeon." 



* SLACKS. This is the local name for a series of freshwater pools extending for several miles 

 just inside the " outer sandhills." They are most of them quite dry in summer when they form an 

 excellent breeding ground for many shore fowl. In some of the deeper and more secluded pools 

 wild ducks hreed regularly every year, and peewits nest ,in considerable numbers on their banks, 

 which are covered with long grasses and sand willow. 



t SCAUP DUCK. SCOTER DUCK. The method adopted by the fishermen on this coast for netting 

 the Scaup or Scoter ducks is, I think, worthy of attention among these notes. Advantage is taken 

 of their habit of reaching their food by diving, and a square, large meshed net is pegged about a 

 foot from the sand over the beds of " cockle scaur," which form the diet of these birds. The 

 position of these cockle scaur beds, as the young of the toothsome cockle is called, are easily 

 ascertained by the fishermen, either by searching the shore for them or by watching the whereabouts 

 of the vast nocks of scaup and scoter during the day time if the tide is up. The ducks may then 

 be watched through a telescope, and if the nets are set, the birds will be seen diving and many of 

 them never re-appear, for they simply dive head downwards into the treacherous meshes, which 

 prevent them getting back to the surface. Scores are drowned. According to Mr. Mitchell's " Birds 

 of Lancashire, ' half a cart load at a single tide is by no means an unusual catch in the nets which 

 are set higher up the coast opposite Peel Castle. This system of netting ducks is called 

 " Dowkering." Divers of various species are also caught. 



J The gentleman who has been good enough to assist us in revising the projf sheets, says that 

 no sensible man is likely to be there before you. 



