2S4



Among the Birds in Sutherland.



It is like a gigantic bee-hive, even from here, four miles off;

with glasses you can see the stream of birds flying from the

cliffs to sea and back again. The whole effect is wonderful

from the sea, but there is generally such a swell that it is

difficult to make out individual birds; these can be seen better

from the cliffs, and by lying flat and looking over the edge one

can see into the nests. We had a good view of the Fulmar

Petrels in that way and saw one white egg. I believe they have

only nested on Handa since 1893, and are supposed to have

come from St. Kilda. The air is full of Guillemots and Razor¬

bills bobbing in the water like corks and flying with extra¬

ordinary rapidity, apparently to nowhere in particular, they set

out as if to go for miles with immense determination, and then

suddenly collapse into the sea with a splash. I think I made out

three different species of Guillemots, and a fisherman tells me

he saw a pure white one a few days ago. The Puffins seemed

to be rather less numerous than when I was here some years

ago, but the time of year may make the difference. The in¬

cessant noise is very striking, but not at all unpleasant, rather

like distant bagpipes or violins in a high key. I have found

several Eider Ducks nests, but now, the end of June, I think

they have mostly hatched off. One or two pair of duck in the

bay I am told are Pintail, and some wild geese were seen flying,

which I hear breed on the islands in the next bay, and I intend

to visit them and see if it is so, one cannot quite depend upon

local information. Since then I have seen a nest and five gos¬

lings with their parents.


The Terns have been here about a fortnight, and are now

laying on the islands, and the stately Gannet sails about the

open sea. The Lesser Black-backed Gull is quite plentiful, I

have not seen many of the Greater. The Cormorant is ubiqui¬

tous, there must be hundreds just round here; they nest on

Handa and the Badcall islands, a comfortable-looking nest with

a fringe of green round it. Some Sandpipers have been flying

about the garden, and I have seen one Dipper on the rocks, but

not the Ring Ouzel, which I rather expected to find here.


If anyone wishes to spend some time in the bird-world, I

can recommend the coast of Sutherland in June.



