T. H. nelson: a ramble on the farne islands. 123 



At Waren Water, a mile north of Bamburgh, an arm of the sea 

 runs inland for a considerable distance, at low-tide leaving an exten- 

 sive tract of mud and sand, forming a capital feeding-ground for shore 

 birds and wild-fowl, while at high-water Seals frequently come up 

 the Waren in pursuit of Salmon, and Eiders and Terns often resort 

 thither in search of food. The Coastguard stationed here kindly 

 ferried us across to the sands on the other side of the little estuary, 

 where Ross Links, a long range of sandhills, bordering on the beach, 

 extend as far as the Beacons opposite Holy Island ; these links are 

 closely protected, and swarm with Rabbits, while several pairs of 

 Shelducks {Tadorna cornuta) have their nests in the rabbit-burrows. 

 We saw an early brood of these handsome birds, attended by the old 

 duck, which seemed very anxious to get her young ones to a place 

 of safety. 



I had made the acquaintance of the tenant of Ross Farm, who 

 gave us permission to walk along the links, but we soon saw that our 

 movements were closely watched, and a keeper accosted us before we 

 had gone far ; after satisfying him that we had no intention of dis- 

 turbing the ducks and rabbits, he accompanied us to the Beacons, 

 where his house is situate, and where he showed us several broods 

 of Shelducks hatched under hens in separate enclosures amongst the 

 sand-hills. After examining the keeper's live-stock we went down to 

 the beach near the Beacons, and our artist friend made a sketch of 

 Holy Island. While we rested here eight Herons {Ardea cinerea) 

 flapped lazily overhead, going in the direction of Fenham Flatts, and 

 a Lesser Tern {^Sterna minntd) flew quickly past towards the sea, 

 making us institute a search for a nest on the shingly beach ; we 

 could not find any, however, nor do I think the Lesser Tern breeds 

 here now, although Mr. Hancock found about a dozen pairs nesting 

 between Bamburgh and Holy Island in 1832 (see Birds of Northum- 

 berland and Durham'). 



Some fishermen who had observed us rowed across the channel 

 to take us to Holy Island, but we found nothing of ornithological 

 interest, although, no doubt, an archaeologist would be >vell repaid 

 by the inspection of the old Castle and the ruins of Lindisfarne 

 Priory. Holy Island is really an island only at certain times of the 

 tide, and at one point it is possible to walk on foot across to the 

 mainland. On the south-west are Fenham Flatts, an immense 

 expanse of mud and sands, covered by the sea at high-tide, a 

 favourite place for shore birds, and in the winter season the resort of 

 innumerable wild-fowl. After spending an hour or two on the island 

 we returned to Bamburgh by road, on the way looking into a wood, 

 where we disturbed a Long-Eared 0\^\[Asio ohis)\n his afternoon siesta. 



April 1887. 



