The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-04-07 00:00:00

SEA-BIRDS.

A naturalist's first visit to a colony of sea-birds
(says a writer in Good Words) is a red-letter day in
his experience; and no matter how many times his
visits may be repeated, there always exists the same
charm and the deeply absorbing interest of his first
impressions. To see these bird colonies at their best,
a visit should be paid when spring is fast merging
into summer. It matters little which locality is
chosen—all are full of interest; but certain birds, in
many cases, confine themselves to particular dis-
tricts. For instance, nowhere can the nesting
economy of terns and gulls be better studied than at
the Ferne Islands; in no other locality but St. Kilda
can the British ornithologist watch the fulmars at
their nests; while the Bass Rock must ever be as-
sociated with the gannet, and Flamborou,gh offers
unusual facilities for observing guillemots, and
razorbills. On these latter rocks every available
ledge is crowded with guillemots, and
the crannies in the cliffs are tenanted •by
countless razorbills. Viewed from the sea these brave
old cliffs present a wonderful sight. From all parts
of the ledges birds are incessantly flying down 'to the
sea; whilst the face of the rocks is almost hidden in
places by the hordes of birds that are flying up and
down. But the best place in this country to see
the guillemot at home is on the "Pinnacles," a group
of stack-like rocks at the Ferne Islands. They are
some 60 ft. high, and the flat table-like tops are ono
moving mass of birds. When approached by human.
intruders the whole mass of birds hurry off, pouring
from the edges in streams, helter-skelter into the boil-
ing sea below, leaving the surface of the rock thickly
strewn with their beautiful eggs of almost every con-
ceivable hue. In the hurry of departure many eggs
get knocked off into the sea. On the ledges of these
cliffs many kittiwakes build their nests, and their
noisy clamour sounds high above the roar of the sea.
On the flat islands adjoining these " stacks " vast
' colonies of gulls breed; each islet for the most
part being monopolized by a single predominating
species. One island is tenanted by terns, another by
herring-gulls and puffins, a third by lesser black-
backed gulls, a few eider-ducks, and oyster-catchers;
while another outlying rock is tenanted exclusively
by cormorants. As visitors approach all becomes
uproar and tumult, and the air is soon full of flutter-
ing birds. The scene can only be compared to a heavy
snowstorm. Under foot their eggs lie so thickly
that great care must be exercised in walking about,
or we should inevitably trample upon them. The Bass
Rock, with its colony of gannets, is equally full of
interest, the nests being crowded thickly on every
bit of cliff and rock ledge at all suitable to hold them.
Early in spring the old gannets return to the rock,
'and in April and May the scene is animated beyond all
description.

As insurance agent refused to take a risk on the
house of a poet, because he was told that the poet was
"imbued with the fire of genius."

"A FORTNIGHT ago I sent my tailor a cheque for
100 marks, and I have had no receipt from him up to
now." " Perha- he has not vet recovered from the
shock"

V.. rm.-1.-

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