82 T. H. NELSON : ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM REDCAR. 



On the 14th I was out in a boat with Mr. Emerson, of Redcar, 

 when we noticed great numbers of sea-birds — Gulls, Gannets {Sula 

 bassana), Skuas, Guillemots {Lomvia troile), and Razorbills (Alca 

 tarda). The Gulls were principally Kittiwakes (J^issa tnWady/a), and 

 on several occasions they perfectly swarmed in the air above us when 

 we had one down on the water. Guillemots and Razor-bills passed 

 continuously to the south-east in small bodies of from three or four to 

 fifteen or twenty, and all around us for miles we could see birds flying. 



Amongst others, we shot an adult Gannet {Su/a bassana)^ three 

 Richardson's Skuas {Stercorarius parasiticus)^ one adult and two imma- 

 ture, and a male Great Skua {S. catarrades) ; the latter is a rare bird 

 in this district; Mussell tells me he has never before had one through 

 his hands. It is many years since there was such a remarkable 

 abundance of bird-life off Redcar ; I never before remember having 

 seen such a quantity and variety at one time ; several of the fishermen 

 said they had not seen so many Skuas since the great flight on 

 December 14th, 1879, exactly seven years before. We were obliged to 

 come ashore after little more than an hour's shooting, or no doubt 

 we should have bagged more Skuas and Gannets. We saw, and fired 

 at, a Pomatorhine Skua {Stercorarius p07natorhinus)^ and the next day I 

 saw several of this species flying over the rocks before a south-east 

 gale. I think it is quite probable that the commotion amongst the 

 birds at sea might be attributed to the impending storm ; the Guille- 

 mots particularly seemed to be in great haste, hurrying away as 

 though for dear life. I have frequently noticed that sea-birds appear 

 to possess a remarkable instinct as to weather probabihties, and there 

 seems to be a great deal of truth in the saying that 'to be a 

 successful wild-fowl shooter a man should be a weather prophet.' 

 On the 15th a strong south-east gale was blowing; many Gulls and 

 Skuas passed over the rocks to the north-west, as also a few Ducks ; 

 on the same day I saw a large flock of Green Plover {Vanellus 

 vulgaris) coming from seaward and flying high to the south-west. 

 On the 1 6th a Red-throated Diver {Colymbus septentrionalis)^ with 

 part of the red throat-patch remaining, was shot off East Scar. On 

 the 1 8th the wind was strong from the north-east with heavy rain ; 

 I shot an immature Common Tern {Sterna Jluviatiiis), a late bird, 

 near East Scar, and shortly after noticed several Velvet Scoters 

 ( CEdemia fusca) swimming outside the breakers ; two rose and flew 

 past over the sands, when I secured one of them ; in the afternoon 

 I shot another Velvet Scoter from Redcar Pier ; it came ashore with 

 the flowing tide and proved to be a young male. On the 19th the 

 weather was still stormy ; Ducks, Larks {Alauda arvensis), Woodcock 

 {Scoiopax riistiaila), Owls, Gold-crests {Regulus cristatus), and other 



Naturalist, 



