DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS.
_Ducks—Characteristics—Non-diving Ducks—Characteristics of—Changes of
Plumage—Sheldrake—Wigeon—Pintail Duck—Various other species—Diving
Ducks: Characteristics—Changes of Plumage—Eider Duck—King Eider—Common
Scoter—Velvet Scoter—Scaup Duck—Tufted
Duck—Pochard—Golden-Eye—Long-tailed Duck—Mergansers—Characteristics
and Changes of Plumage—Red-breasted
Merganser—Goosander—Smew—Geese—Characteristics—Gray Lag
Goose—White-fronted Goose—Bean Goose—Brent Goose—Bernacle
Goose—Swans—Characteristics—Changes of Plumage—Hooper Swan—Bewick’s
Swan._
Most of the species contained in the present chapter can only be
described as Sea-birds during winter. In summer they are chiefly inland
species, and resort to fresh waters. Again, the majority of these birds
do not breed within the limits of the British Islands; they are winter
visitors from more northern lands, and return to those lands in spring.
Still there are a few species resident in our area eminently marine in
their habits, and forming constant and pleasing features in the
bird-life of the coast. United, the Ducks, Geese, and Swans form the
well-defined family Anatidæ, which may be readily divided into
half-a-dozen sub-families, all but one of which are represented at some
time of the year on our seaboard. The most important external
characteristics of the birds in this family are the peculiar laminated
bill, the short legs, the webbed feet, and the dense compact plumage.
The family is almost cosmopolitan in its distribution.
NON-DIVING DUCKS.
Representatives of no less than three of the four sub-families into
which the Ducks have been divided by systematists, are found on the
British coast-line. Each sub-family contains some thoroughly marine
species. We will deal first with the Anatinæ, containing the Sheldrakes
and non-diving Ducks. The birds in this sub-family are distinguished
from all others by having the tarsus scutellated or plated in front, and
by having only a narrow membrane attached to the hind toe. A peculiarity
about these Ducks is that they never dive for their food. This is
obtained only in shallow water, by submerging the fore half of the body
and dabbling and probing amongst the mud and weeds. In the Sheldrakes
the sexes are nearly alike in colour, but in the remaining species there
is usually considerable difference in this respect, the males or drakes
being handsome, showy birds, the females or ducks brown and
comparatively sombre-looking. The Sheldrakes moult once in autumn, the
remaining species the same, but the drakes of these latter change their
small feathers twice, once in early summer and once in autumn. The young
are hatched covered with down, and able, to a great extent, to shift for
themselves.
SHELDRAKE.
This remarkably handsome species, the _Anas cornuta_ of S. G. Gmelin,
and the _Tadorna cornuta_ of most modern naturalists, is a resident on
such parts of the British coasts as are suited to its needs.
Unfortunately, continued persecution has driven this beautiful Duck from
many a haunt along the coast, and it is now almost entirely confined
during the breeding season to the more secluded districts, or to such
places where man may accord it some measure of protection. Low sandy
coasts, and extensive dunes by the sea, are the favourite resort of the
Sheldrake; and, owing to its secretive habits and exceptional wariness,
it is a species that may be very easily overlooked. During the breeding
season, an observer may wander for hours up and down the haunts of this
Duck without seeing a single bird. Once seen, however, it is easily
identified—no other bird along the coast more readily. The harlequin
arrangement of the colours is more eccentric, perhaps, than beautiful.
The bill, to begin with, is crimson; the head and upper neck are dark
metallic-green; the lower neck is white, and below this is a broad band
of bay or chestnut; the rump, upper tail coverts, and tail (except the
tip, which is black), part of the secondaries and innermost scapulars,
the wing coverts, the sides of the belly and the flanks, are white; the
remainder of the wings and outermost scapulars, and a broad line from
the breast to the vent are black; the alar speculum is green; the tarsus
and feet are pink. At a distance the bird looks like a patchwork
arrangement of black, white, and red, which becomes even more pronounced
when it takes flight, and in a slow, Heron-like way, with measured beats
of the wings, passes out to sea, or down the coast to more secluded
haunts. During the breeding season, this Duck frequents the sand dunes
on the English coast, but is rare and local in the south; in Scotland it
is commoner, and may be met with in almost all places suited to its
requirements, including the Hebrides. In Ireland, however, it becomes
local and uncommon, although widely dispersed. When the young are reared
the bird becomes more widely distributed, but even then its preference
for the sand makes it still local. The Sheldrake is known by many
provincial names, among which may be mentioned “Burrow Duck,”
“Bergander,” and “Shell-duck.” The origin of this Duck’s colloquial name
is somewhat obscure, although Willughby and Ray attribute it to the
bird’s strongly-contrasted plumage—“sheld” being the East Anglian
equivalent for parti-coloured.[5] The Old Norse name for this Duck was
skjöldungr, from _skjöldr_, a piebald horse. The Sheldrake is certainly
a social bird, but can scarcely be termed a gregarious one. Small
parties may be seen feeding in the shallows or swimming in the sea. The
bird obtains its food either whilst wandering along the shore—its gait
is more elegant than that of most Ducks, owing to the comparatively
longer legs—or when swimming in water just deep enough for it to reach
the sandy bottom, when the fore part of the body is submerged, and the
hind quarters held almost perpendicular. This food consists chiefly of
sand-hoppers, crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish; but on shore the
bird also eats grass, stems and leaves of aquatic plants, and worms. The
Sheldrake rarely wanders far from the sea, its visits to the land seldom
extending beyond the dunes or the rough saltings. The note of this Duck
is a harsh quack, but in the pairing season an oft-repeated tremulous
cry is uttered, and when the young are abroad a guttural _kurr_ is
heard.
The breeding season of the Sheldrake begins in April or May. Although
instances of this bird breeding some distance from the coast are on
record (Stevenson’s _Birds of Norfolk_), its ordinary nesting-places are
never far from the sea. Its favourite breeding-grounds are sand dunes,
links, flat sand-banks, and small islands in sea lochs, firths, or
estuaries. The bird is not very social at this period, and although many
pairs may occupy a comparatively small area of coast, each seems to keep
closely to its own particular domain. The nest is made at the end of a
burrow, a rabbit hole being frequently selected; but sometimes the bird
is said to excavate one for itself, in which case it follows a nearly
circular direction. Sometimes the nest is ten or fifteen feet from the
entrance, and in places where rabbits are numerous, it is often an
almost hopeless task to discover it, one burrow running into another in
bewildering perplexity. At the end of the burrow a rude nest of dry
grass is formed—a rabbit’s nest is not unfrequently utilised—which, as
incubation advances, is thickly lined with down from the parent’s body.
Few nests are more difficult to find; sometimes the parents will betray
its whereabouts when one bird relieves the other; but, as a rule, the
male is seldom seen near it, and both sexes are remarkably cautious in
leaving or visiting it. The eggs are usually from six to twelve, but as
many as sixteen have been known. They are creamy-white in colour, smooth
and polished in texture. The down in the nest of the Sheldrake is a
beautiful lavender-gray. The young are soon taken to the beach after
they are hatched, where the little creatures are remarkably active in
catching sand-hoppers.
WIGEON.
Of all the more typical birds in this sub-family, the present species,
the _Anas penelope_ of naturalists, is by far the best known along the
coast. The male bird is a very pretty and conspicuous one, in his
beautifully pencilled back and flanks, and distinguished from afar by
his bright buff forehead and crown, and white wing coverts. The female
is much less showily coloured. The Wigeon arrives upon our seaboard,
from the Arctic regions, in vast numbers every autumn, and from that
time forward to the following spring resides with us. This autumn
migration of the Wigeon begins late in September, and lasts well on into
November. The birds begin to leave us again in March, and most have
departed by the end of the following month. The Wigeon, whilst with us,
is one of the most gregarious of the Ducks, and flocks of vast size may
sometimes be observed in our shallower seas close inshore, in estuaries
and bays, but perhaps more frequently further out at sea. These birds
obtain most of their food at night in such localities where they are
subjected to much persecution, as often happens, for their flesh is
valued as an article for the table, coming landwards at dusk, and
retiring to the open sea at dawn. The flight of this species is rapid,
yet almost noiseless, and the bird may sometimes be seen gliding down
from the air to the water on stiff and motionless wings, but flapping
them rapidly just as it drops, tail first, into the sea. Its note is
highly characteristic, a shrill, far sounding _mee-ow_, or _wee-ow_. The
food consists of grass, buds, and leaves of aquatic plants, grass wrack,
crustaceans, and molluscs. Many Wigeons are caught in the flight-nets on
the Wash, a locality which is, or used to be twenty years ago, a
favourite resort of this Duck.
A few Wigeons remain in our Islands to breed, frequenting the northern
counties of Scotland, including the Orkneys and the Shetlands, but the
vast majority return to the Arctic regions to do so. Its favourite
nesting-places are scrubby woodlands, swamps, and heaths, clothed with
coarse herbage, studded with lakes and tarns, and intersected by
streams. Although not gregarious at this period, the numbers of nests
found scattered over a small area, suggests at least a social tendency.
The nest is usually made close to the water-side, amongst heath or
grass, or sheltered by a little bush, and is made of dry herbage and
leaves, warmly lined with down plucked from the body of the female. The
six to ten eggs are cream- or buffish-white, smooth in texture, but with
little gloss. These are laid in May.
PINTAIL DUCK.
This elegant species, the _Anas acuta_ of Linnæus, by some modern
writers generically distinguished as _Dafila acuta_, is, next to the
Wigeon perhaps, the most abundant of the non-diving Ducks upon the
coast. Like that bird it visits the British seas in some numbers in
autumn, returning north in spring. From the extreme length of the two
central upper tail coverts, which project two inches or more beyond the
tail, this Duck has been termed the “Sea Pheasant” in some districts,
although in others the name is applied to the Long-tailed Duck—a member
of the next sub-family. The male is distinguished by his brown head,
shot with bronze tints, black nape, and white stripe on either side of
the neck, which runs into the white underparts; by the green speculum
emphasised above with pale chestnut, and below with white, and finely
pencilled black and gray upper plumage: the long pointed black
scapulars, broadly edged with dull white, are also a noteworthy feature.
The female is much less showily coloured, mottled-brown above, and
grayish-white below, but the brown tail feathers, obliquely barred with
white, readily distinguish her from allied species. The favourite haunts
of the Pintail, during its sojourn with us, are the shallow estuaries,
especially on our eastern and southern coasts. It arrives on our coasts
chiefly in October and November, and leaves them in April. The Pintail
is a remarkably gregarious species, congregating in large flocks during
winter, and it has been observed that many of these gatherings are
composed exclusively of male birds. It is a shy and wary bird, feeding
principally at night, visiting the land or the shallows at dusk, and
when so engaged, sentinels are generally on the look-out, ready to give
the alarm. It obtains its food by dipping the fore half of the body
under water, and exploring the mud with its bill; but sometimes stubbles
and meadows near the sea are visited for the purpose. This food consists
chiefly of aquatic plants, grass, insects, worms, molluscs, and
crustaceans. This Duck swims well and buoyantly, looking very graceful
on the water; it rarely dives, even when wounded; whilst on the ground
it walks with long neck extended and tail raised. The Pintail flies well
and rapidly, the wings making a peculiar and easily recognised swishing
sound.
The Pintail migrates northwards in flocks, and reaches its Arctic
breeding grounds as soon as the ice begins to break up, crowding on the
little pools and narrow belt of open water, on the sides of the rivers,
and filling the air like swarms of bees. A few pairs remain in the
British Islands for the summer. Swampy moors, and the banks of lakes and
ponds, are the favourite nesting-places of this Duck. The nest, made
upon the ground amongst herbage, or under the shelter of a rock or bush,
is composed of dry grass, withered leaves, sedges, and rushes, and lined
copiously with down. The eggs are from six to ten in number, and are
pale buffish-green, smooth, but lustreless. These are laid in May. The
Pintail is by no means a noisy bird; a low chattering may be heard from
a flock whilst feeding, a soft quack when the bird is alarmed; whilst
the drake, during the season of courtship, utters a deep _clük_,
preceded by a hiss, and followed by a low grating note. Outside our
islands the Pintail has a very wide distribution, breeding in the
Palæarctic and Nearctic regions, and wintering almost to the Equator.
Of the remaining five species of Ducks belonging to the present
sub-family, which are either regular visitors to our islands, or
residents in them, none can fairly be classed as being typically marine
in their haunts. The well-known Mallard _Anas boschas_, the Teal _Anas
crecca_, and the Shoveller _Anas clypeata_, visit the low-lying coasts,
especially during severe weather, but they are all eminently fresh-water
species, and form no dominant feature in the bird-life of the coast.
Still less familiar to the sea-side naturalist are the Gadwall _Anas
strepera_, and the Garganey _Anas circia_. The former species is rare in
our islands, even during winter, whilst the latter is a summer visitor
only, excessively local, but breeding sparingly in the Broads District,
where, from the peculiar note of the male, it is known as the “Cricket
Teal.” We will, therefore, pass on to a study of the next sub-family,
which contains birds eminently marine in their habits and economy.
DIVING DUCKS.
These birds, described somewhat ambiguously by certain authorities as
Sea Ducks, for all the species are by no means exclusively marine, yet
all are expert divers, form a fairly well-defined and homogenous group,
or sub-family, termed by systematists, Fuligulinæ. They are
characterised by having a pendant lobe, or membrane, attached to the
hind toe, and by their anteriorly scutellated tarsi. All the Ducks in
this sub-family habitually dive for their food, and their movements in
the water are remarkably agile. The sexes generally present considerable
difference in colour, the males, as usual, being the most handsome and
conspicuous. The young are always hatched covered with down, and soon
able to accompany their parents on the water. The females have a single
moult in autumn, but the males a partially double one. Diving Ducks, in
fact all species in the family, in first plumage, closely resemble the
old female, and acquire the adult plumage after the first autumn moult.
We will deal first with the resident species, as being constant features
in the bird life of the coast and sea.
EIDER DUCK.
No Duck is more thoroughly attached to the sea than this species, the
_Anas mollissima_ of Linnæus and Latham, but the _Somateria mollissima_
of most modern ornithologists. Unfortunately it is somewhat restricted
in its distribution, only breeding in one locality on the English coast,
occurring more or less accidentally elsewhere. Ireland is not even so
fortunate, for no nesting station is known round the entire coastline of
the island. The Eider Duck is a decidedly northern bird, and is found,
if somewhat locally, round the coasts of Scotland, extending to the
outlying islands, including St. Kilda, where I have taken its nest. To
most people, perhaps, the down of the Eider Duck, in the form of a
coverlet, is more familiar than the bird itself. Although somewhat
clumsy in appearance, the male Eider is a singularly handsome and
conspicuous bird—conspicuous, one might say, when standing on the rocks
or paddling about the still water near the shore, but even in a very
moderately rough sea the bird is detected with difficulty, especially at
a distance, for the white crests and dark waves effectually harmonise
with, and conceal, its striking piebald plumage. The two predominating
colours of the male Eider are black and white, the latter occupying most
of the upper surface, the former most of the lower; the head, however,
is variously marked with black, white, and pale green. The female is
dark chestnut-brown, variegated with brownish-black. The Eider Duck is
so thoroughly sea-going in its habits, that it rarely even flies over
the land, except to reach its nest, and will rather follow the windings
of the coast than cross even a narrow headland. In our islands it is
practically sedentary, only wandering south a little way during winter.
Its favourite haunts are rocky islands and coasts, where bays and quiet
fjords offer it a haven of safety. The Eider is not so gregarious as
many other Ducks, but it may be seen in parties all the year round, the
drakes keeping company on the sea while their partners are on their
nests, and when these latter come off them to feed, all join into a
scattered company. The male bird is exceptionally wary at all times, but
the female during the nesting period, becomes absurdly tame in districts
where not persecuted, often allowing an observer to stroke her gently
whilst she sits upon her eggs. The food of the Eider Duck consists of
minute marine insects, crustaceans, and shellfish, especially mussels
and small crabs. Most of this food is obtained by diving, the Eider
being marvellously expert at this, not only descending to a great depth,
but remaining for a long time below. A favourite method of feeding with
this species is to draw shorewards with the tide. It may be watched
gradually swimming towards the land in some sheltered bay, feeding as it
comes, until the very edge of the breakers is reached. Then comes by far
the prettiest sight of all, as the bird swims through each mighty wave
just before it turns over and breaks upon the beach, floating light as a
foam fleck on the huge rollers, now high up on the white crests, then
momentarily lost to view in the green glassy depths. If alarmed on these
occasions, the Eider generally swims quickly out from shore, but if
further pursued or fired at, it instantly takes wing, rising from the
water with little splash, and flying rapidly and steadily just above the
surface to a safer refuge. The Eider is a day feeder, abroad at dawn,
and continuing its labours well into the dusk. As a rule the Eider is a
very silent bird. The usual note is a somewhat low _kurr_, but in the
season of courtship the male utters a cooing sound when paying his
addresses to his mate, as he swims round and round her, guarding her
from the attentions of rivals. This cooing noise may be heard for a long
distance across a quiet loch, especially, as often happens, if several
drakes are together.
The favourite nesting places of the Eider Duck are low, rocky islands,
well covered with marine vegetation, such as campion, thrift, and grass.
Late in spring the flocks begin to separate more into pairs, although
the immature non-breeding individuals may be observed to continue
gregarious all the summer, and not to visit the nesting stations. The
laying season is in May and June. The female alone selects a site for
and makes the nest, the male rarely, if ever, visiting the spot,
although he keeps in attendance on the sea near the islands, and joins
her when she comes to feed. The nest is made upon the ground, sometimes
amongst the dense beds of campion, sometimes in a crevice of the
boulders, or on a ledge of rock. Occasionally, as I remarked at St.
Kilda, it may be placed on the top of cliffs hundreds of feet above the
sea. It is large and well made, consisting of coarse grass, dry seaweed,
heather, and bits of dead vegetation, profusely lined with down and a
few curly feathers from the body of the female alone. This lining
gradually accumulates as the eggs are laid. Numbers of nests may be
found close together, especially where the birds are tolerably common,
as, for instance, at the Farne Islands, where, by the way, the Eider is
known as “St. Cuthbert’s Duck.” The eggs are from five to seven, or
rarely even eight, pale olive-green or greenish-gray in colour, and
smooth and wax-like in texture. In many places the Eider is jealously
protected for the sake of its precious down, especially in Iceland and
Norway, and the taking of the eggs or down by unauthorized persons is an
offence punishable by law. Outside our limits, the Eider inhabits most
of the coasts and islands of the North Atlantic. The much rarer King
Eider, _Somateria spectabilis_—an occasional visitor to the British
Seas—claims a passing reference, for it is by no means improbable that
the species actually breeds within our limits.
COMMON SCOTER.
Of all the hordes of Ducks that pour southwards in autumn, down the
western coasts of Europe, and find a winter resort in the British Seas,
the present species, the _Anas nigra_ of Linnæus, the _Fuligula nigra_
of many writers, and _Œdemia nigra_ of others who regard the Scoters as
generically distinct from the Pochard and allied forms, is certainly by
far the commonest. It is known on almost all parts of the coast as the
“Black Duck.” Few other Ducks are so absolutely marine as the Scoter; no
weather is bad enough to drive it ashore, and it seldom visits the land
at all, except for purposes of reproduction. It is a gregarious bird,
and so large are some of its gatherings off the British coasts, that it
literally blackens the sea with its numbers. To see such a mighty host
of birds rise _en masse_ from the water is a most imposing, nay, even a
thrilling sight. The Common Scoter begins to arrive with us in
September, and the migration continues right through the following
month. The return passage begins in April and lasts into May. All the
birds, however, do not pass northwards, for flocks of immature Scoters
frequent British waters through the summer, whilst a few pairs of adults
are even known to breed in the north of Scotland. The Scoter is found
most abundantly off our eastern coasts, from the Orkneys to the
Goodwins, and thence, but in smaller numbers, along the English Channel.
The western districts are not visited so plentifully, the flat coasts of
Lancashire, the north of Ireland, and the Solway area being its
principal resorts. This Scoter is an adept diver; in fact, almost all
its food is obtained in that way. Like the Eider the Scoter is fond of
working shorewards with the tide, feeding as it comes, and retiring from
the land again when its appetite is satisfied. The food of this Duck
consists in winter chiefly of molluscs and crustaceans; but in summer
the leaves, roots, and buds of aquatic plants are eaten, as are also
insects. The Scoter flies well and rapidly, and is not unfrequently seen
in the air, especially when in flocks. These sometimes circle and gyrate
for some time after they are flushed before settling on the sea again.
The usual note of the Scoter is a harsh _kurr_, modulated into a more
musical sound by the drake during the pairing season.
Even during the breeding season the Common Scoter does not retire far
from the sea. Its favourite breeding grounds are by the lakes and rivers
amongst dwarf-willow and birch-scrub, and an island is always preferred.
The nest is a mere hollow in the ground, into which is collected a
little dry herbage. This, however, is plentifully lined with down before
the female begins to sit. The bird is a late breeder, the eggs not being
laid much before the middle of June. These are six to nine in number,
grayish-buff in colour, smooth in texture, and with little gloss. Only
one brood is reared, and the female alone appears to take the entire
duty of caring for the ducklings. I should here remark that the adult
male Scoter is uniform bright black, with the exception of an
orange-coloured stripe—said to vary considerably in extent—along the
central ridge of the upper mandible. The female is nearly uniform
dark-brown. The Scoter is an inhabitant of Arctic Europe and West
Siberia, visiting more southern latitudes in winter.
VELVET SCOTER.
Although this species, the _Fuligula fusca_ of ornithology, is a regular
winter visitor to the seas off the British coasts, it nowhere approaches
in numbers the preceding species. It may be readily distinguished from
the Common Scoter by its very conspicuous white wing bar, and less
observable white spot under the eye; otherwise it closely resembles it
in general colouration. The Velvet Scoters that visit our seas are
generally observed mixed with the gatherings of the Common Scoter. The
habits of the two species are much alike in some respects, very
different in others. Thus it exhibits the same skill in diving for food,
and obtains it under very similar conditions; its flight is equally
rapid and well sustained; it seldom visits the land, and is, when on it,
just as clumsy and waddling in its gait; its food is similar; its
migrations take place at much the same periods. On the other hand, the
Velvet Scoter is not such a strictly maritime species, being frequently
found on inland waters, and even, during winter, is partial to wandering
up tidal rivers and visiting lakes. Its breeding-places are also, as a
rule, much farther from the sea, and the nest is not unfrequently found
at long distances from any water at all. Odd pairs of this Scoter are
occasionally met with in our area during the summer, and it has been
suggested that the species even breeds within the British limits; no
direct evidence, however, is forthcoming.
This Scoter is a late breeder, its eggs not being laid before the end of
June, or even early in July. Although migrating in flocks, the birds
appear to separate into pairs as soon as the summer quarters are
reached. The duck and drake keep close company as usual, until the eggs
are laid, after which the latter leaves his mate to bring up the brood
alone. The Velvet Scoter breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of
Europe and Asia, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and winters in
temperate latitudes. The breeding-places are chiefly situated on the
tundras, amongst scrub or coarse vegetation, near the rivers and lakes.
The scanty nest of dry grass and dead leaves is often made under some
bush, and, before incubation commences, is lined with down from the body
of the female. The eight or nine eggs are greyish-buff in colour,
smooth, and with little gloss. As soon as the young are capable of
flight, a movement south is made.
SCAUP DUCK.
This Duck, the _Anas marila_ of Linnæus, or _Fuligula marila_ of modern
naturalists, derives its trivial name from its habit of frequenting the
“mussel-scaups,” or “mussel-scalps,” and is tolerably abundant round the
British coasts during winter. The adult male is distinguished by having
the head and neck black, shot with metallic-green and purple, and the
back and scapulars vermiculated with white and black. The general colour
of the female is brown, shading into grayish-white on the belly, whilst
a broad white band extends round the base of the bill. Scaup Ducks begin
to arrive off our more northern coasts in September, but not until a
month later in the south. They begin to leave us again in March, and the
migration continues through the whole of April into May, the bird thus
being one of the last Ducks to retire north in spring. Although by no
means unfrequently met with on inland waters during migration and in
winter, the Scaup Duck is, for the most part, a dweller on the sea,
resorting, by preference, to bays, estuaries, and the mouths of large
rivers, especially where a considerable amount of mud is left bare at
low water. It is gregarious at this season, often congregating into
large flocks, and not unfrequently associates with other Sea Ducks,
notably with Wigeon and Pintail. It is a most expert and ready diver,
spends most of its time upon the water, and appears always to prefer to
dive, rather than to fly, in avoiding pursuit. If compelled to take
wing, it rises with much splashing: but, when once fairly in the air, is
capable of rapid flight, the quickly-beating pinions making a whistling
or rustling sound. The food of the Scaup Duck consists largely of
molluscs, but crustaceans and marine plants are also eaten by this
species. When thus diving for food, the bird often remains below for a
minute at a time. It feeds much at night, and passes pretty regularly
from its usual haunts by day to its feeding-places. The note of this
Duck is a most harsh and discordant _scaup_, but during flight or
courtship a hoarse and grating _kurr_ is uttered.
The Scaup Duck arrives at its Arctic breeding-grounds with the break-up
of the ice. The bird may probably pair for life, as the sexes keep close
company all the year. Even at its breeding-grounds it is a social bird,
many pairs nesting in a small area, and collecting at certain spots to
feed. Its breeding-grounds are on the Arctic tundras, near the
rush-and-grass-fringed lakes, amidst the thickets of birches, junipers,
and willows. The nest is placed under a bush, or amongst herbage on a
bank, and is merely a hollow lined with dry grass and sedge and dead
leaves. To this, however, the usual lining of down is added. The eggs,
from six to nine in number, are greenish-gray, and of smooth texture.
The female, as usual, takes sole charge of the young. The Scaup Duck
inhabits, during summer, the Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and
America, drawing southwards in winter almost to the tropics.
TUFTED DUCK.
This species, the _Anas fuligula_ of Linnæus, and the _Fuligula
cristata_ of most modern ornithologists, is a fairly common winter
visitor to the British coasts. It is not so exclusively a marine species
as some of the other diving Ducks, being often met with on inland waters
during that season. The Tufted Duck derives its name from the bushy
crest or tuft of feathers growing from the top of the head, and drooping
down over the back of the neck on the male. The head, neck, and crest
are glossy black, shot with purple and green; the upper parts, the
breast and the under tail coverts, are black; the remainder of the
underparts and the alar speculum are white. In the female, the black is
replaced by dark brown, and the white with brownish-gray: the white
speculum remains. Many Tufted Ducks breed, and are apparently resident
in our islands in certain inland districts; but the majority of the
birds that occur round the coasts are migrants from the north. This Duck
begins to arrive off the British coasts towards the end of October, and
continues to do so into November. It remains in our area until the
following spring, passing north in March and April. Its principal haunts
are the more low-lying coasts, especially in the vicinity of estuaries
and mud-banks. It is gregarious enough at this season, some of the
flocks consisting of many thousands of birds. In its habits generally,
it very closely resembles the Scaup Duck, a species whose company it
often keeps. It swims in much the same low manner, dives with equally
marvellous adeptness, and shows the same propensity for keeping well out
to sea during the day, coming shorewards and into shallower water at
night to feed. It rises from the sea in the same apparently laboured
way, striking the water with its feet—the splashing thus made by a flock
of birds being audible for a long distance. Its alarm note during winter
is a harsh _kurr_, but the bird is not a very noisy one. The food of
this Duck consists of molluscs, small fish, and the roots, stems,
leaves, and buds of various water plants—all of which is obtained by
diving, the bird sometimes remaining beneath the surface for as long as
a minute.
The Tufted Duck retires to inland waters for the summer, its favourite
resorts being meres, lakes, and marshy grounds full of small ponds. A
partiality is also shown for small pools on heaths, or fairly
well-timbered ground. This Duck probably pairs for life; in the breeding
season it is certainly social, many males consorting together, and many
females making their nests within a small area. The nest is usually made
in a tussock of sedge, beneath a bush, or amongst rushes and coarse
grass, and is a mere hollow lined with a little dry vegetation, and an
abundance of down from the female. The eggs are usually from eight to
ten in number, and greenish-buff. They are laid, according to locality,
from April to June. The female alone brings up the young. Outside our
islands, the Tufted Duck breeds in the Arctic or temperate parts of
Europe and Asia, visiting the southern portions of those continents, as
well as North Africa, during winter.
POCHARD.
This handsome Duck, the _Anas ferina_ of Linnæus, and the _Nyroca_ or
_Fuligula ferina_ of modern writers, is another winter visitor to the
British Islands, where, however, it breeds locally, and in somewhat
limited numbers, thus coming within the category of our resident
species. In some districts the male of this Duck is known as the
“Red-headed Poker,” the female as the “Dunbird” or “Dunker.” The colours
of this Duck are very distinctive. The head and neck of the male are
rich chestnut; the back scapulars and flanks are white, finely-pencilled
or vermiculated with black; the gorget and tail coverts are black; the
under-surface grayish-white; the quills brown. The female has the head
and neck reddish-brown, the chin white, and the remainder of the plumage
much browner and more dingy than in her mate. The Pochard is by no means
exclusively a marine Duck; in fact, this species appears to be as much
attached to fresh-waters as to the sea. Unfortunately, there is one
thing about most of these Sea Ducks which does much to detract from
their interest, and that is, they cannot readily be observed from the
shore, and appear upon our seas at a season when the elements render the
coast least attractive. Most of these Ducks lie well off the land, where
the wild-fowler alone is tempted to follow them; or if approaching the
shore more closely, it is generally during rough tempestuous weather,
when all but the enthusiastic naturalist and the gunner prefer to remain
warm and comfortable at home. The Pochard is no exception in this
respect. It arrives along our coasts in October, and remains with us
until the following March. It is thoroughly aquatic in its habits,
rarely visiting the land, feeding both by day and by night (chiefly the
latter), and often flying for considerable distances, about dusk, to
waters where food is abundant. Although its flight, at first, is slow
and laboured, it soon becomes very rapid, and the quickly-beating wings
make a rustling sound very characteristic of this species. The Pochard
is another expert diver, and by this means obtains most of its food,
visiting the bottom and bringing up masses of weeds to eat them on the
surface. On the coast its food largely consists of crustaceans and
molluscs, as well as marine plants. The note of this species is a loud
and harsh _kurr_.
The haunts of the Pochard in summer are large and open sheets of water,
surrounded by a luxuriant growth of sedge, rush, iris, and similar
plants, or situated on higher ground clothed with heath, gorse, and
coarse grass. It is a social bird during the breeding period, several
females often nesting close together. The nest is always made near fresh
water, and in many cases absolutely floats on rafts of fallen and
rotting vegetation several yards from the bank, or rests in some tussock
surrounded by shallow water. A bed of iris, or a crown of rushes, is
another favourite spot. It is made of dry grass and fragments of any
aquatic vegetation obtainable, and lined with down from the female’s
body. The eggs—usually from eight to twelve, sometimes more—are
brownish-gray. As is usual among Ducks, the female alone brings up the
numerous family. This Duck is widely distributed over many parts of
Europe, Northern Asia, and North America, the birds of the latter
continent being regarded by some ornithologists as a distinct species.
GOLDEN-EYE.
Misled by the variations of colour, due to age, sex, or season, in this
species, Linnæus described different examples of it under the names of
_Anas clangula_ and _A. glaucion_; whilst even in our own day the
females and immature birds are known as “Morillons,” and regarded as
distinct from the much-rarer adult males or “Golden-Eyes,” which are
locally termed “Rattle wings” or “Whistlers” from the noise produced by
the wings during flight. The Golden-Eye forms the type of the
well-marked genus _Clangula_ of Fleming and of Boie, and is known to
most modern ornithologists as _C. glaucion_. The male is a singularly
striking and beautiful bird, with the general colour of the upper parts
black, shot with metallic-green tints on the head, which is adorned with
a small, yet distinct, drooping crest; with a large white patch at the
base of the bill under each eye, and with the drooping, elongated
scapulars, and the underparts, white. The female is much less
conspicuous, the black being replaced by dark brown, the elongated
scapulars are wanting, and the spot under the eyes only faintly
indicated. The white double alar speculum is, however, very strongly
marked in both sexes. The Golden-Eye is certainly more addicted to
fresh-water than the sea, and in most cases only quits these inland
lakes and ponds, when continued frost compels it to do so. It then
prefers such coasts as are low-lying, especially delighting in
estuaries. It usually arrives in the British Islands in October, and
remains in them until the following April or May. It is not so
gregarious as some of the other Ducks, and generally assembles in
parties rather than in flocks, the larger gatherings being caused by
exceptional circumstances. Its habits very closely resemble those of
allied birds. It is seldom seen on the land, and there walks with the
waddling gait peculiar to most Ducks; on the water, however, it is
active and graceful enough, swimming well, and diving with great
celerity, usually seeking by this means to escape from danger. The note
of this Duck is a low croaking _kurr_, uttered both when the bird is
flying and when at rest. Its food consists of crustaceans, molluscs,
small fishes, and various water plants and weeds. Most of this is
obtained by diving; and whilst a flock of birds is feeding, several
individuals keep watch, all never diving together.
The evidence for this Duck having bred in Scotland, is neither reliable
nor conclusive. The Golden-eye breeds throughout the Arctic and
sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and America, up to the limits of the
growth of trees: its winter range extends to the tropics. It retires to
its northern summer haunts with the first signs of spring. The favourite
breeding resorts of this Duck are tracts of more open forest country,
where the woods are full of swamps and lakes, and the timber contains
plenty of holes. The nest is usually made in a hollow tree, in a hole in
the trunk, or in a hollow branch, sometimes as many as thirty feet from
the ground; whilst the partiality of the bird for a tree near a
waterfall, or running stream, has been noticed by more than one
observer. The nest consists entirely of the down plucked from the
female’s body. The ten or twelve eggs are laid in May or June, and are
bright green in colour. The nest-hole is never made by the Duck itself.
The peasants of Northern Scandinavia place hollow logs in suitable
places on the tree-trunks, which the Golden-Eyes appear readily to avail
themselves of, and from which the eggs and down are systematically
taken. The young are conveyed to the ground, one by one, pressed between
the female’s bill and her breast. The male is not known to assist in the
task of incubation, but may possibly do so.
LONG-TAILED DUCK.
This beautiful and remarkably elegant species, the _Anas glacialis_ of
Linnæus, and the _Fuligula_ or _Harelda glacialis_ of modern writers, is
another winter visitor to the British seas. It is only of somewhat rare
occurrence in our southern waters, but northwards, off the Scotch
coasts, it becomes more frequent, and in certain localities—notably the
Hebrides, and the Orkneys and Shetlands—even abundant. In the latter
islands it is locally known as the “Calloo”; in other parts of Scotland
the clear, gabbling cry of this Duck has been freely translated into the
words “coal-an’-can’le-licht.” To many American gunners the bird is
known as “Old Squaw,” from its oft-repeated cries. The male bird is
singularly graceful in appearance, his long, black central tail feathers
projecting five inches beyond the remaining white ones. The head and
neck are white, but on either side, below the ears, is a dark brown
circular patch; the gorget and the upper parts generally are black,
against which, however, the long, elongated white scapulars are very
conspicuous; the underparts, below the gorget, are white. The female is
much less showy, the black parts in the male being dark brown in this
sex, and the white parts are suffused with brown; the elongated
scapulars are wanting. During exceptionally severe weather the
Long-tailed Duck sometimes approaches our coasts in unusual numbers, and
in districts where it is generally a scarce bird. This Duck is a late
migrant, seldom reaching even our most northerly coasts before November.
It returns north in April. It is strictly marine in its haunts during
winter, often wandering long distances from land, and approaching the
shore usually under pressure of stormy weather. Then it shows a decided
preference for rock-bound coasts, frequenting the creeks and inlets
which afford a considerable amount of shelter. The Long-tailed Duck is
gregarious at this season, like most of its kind, although the flocks
are seldom or never so large as the gatherings of Scoters and others.
Its flight is remarkably quick, the long tail making the bird look
extremely elegant. It is also an expert diver, disappearing as quick as
thought, and often going for long distances beneath the surface, like a
Grebe or a Shag. It obtains most of its food by diving, and, like the
Eider, often comes shorewards with the tide. It feeds in deeper water,
too, than many of its allies, as much of its prey is captured, not at
the bottom, but floating in the sea. This food consists of small
molluscs, crustaceans, minute marine animals, insects, and water plants,
and weeds. Its note may be described as a loud _cal-loo-oo_.
The Long-tailed Duck breeds in the Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and
North America, above the limits of forest growth, and, possibly, as far
north as land exists. During summer, it frequents inland pools and
lakes; odd pairs taking possession of the former, many pairs
congregating on the latter. The birds arrive in the Arctic regions with
the break-up of the ice, congregating in the pools amongst the floes.
The nest is usually placed in some sheltered nook, amongst birch and
willow scrub, in long grass, or on the drifted rubbish by the banks of
the subsided rivers. It is little more than a hollow, lined with down.
In this, during June or early July, from seven to twelve buffish-green
eggs are laid by the female. It is a most remarkable fact that the drake
of this species assists the duck in bringing up the young, but not, so
far as I can learn, in incubating the eggs. During the whole breeding
season this Duck is remarkably tame, loth to take wing, and swimming out
into the centre of the lake for safety, if threatened by danger. The
winter migrations of this Duck are not very extended, the Mediterranean
Basin, perhaps, marking the extreme southern limits.
MERGANSERS.
The Mergansers are a well-defined little group of fish-eating Ducks,
forming the sub-family Merginæ. They are characterised by their slender,
narrow bill, furnished on both upper and lower mandible with saw-like
lamellæ or denticulations. The head is always more or less crested; in
most other respects they resemble the Diving Ducks, all the species
seeking for their food by diving. The sexes differ in colour of plumage,
but not, perhaps, to such a marked extent as in some other divisions of
the Anatidæ. Six species of Mergansers are known to science, of which
four are included in the British list—one as a rare visitor from North
America. Of the remaining two species, one inhabits South America, the
other the Auckland Islands. The young, as usual, are hatched covered
with down, and able soon to follow the female to the water. In their
moulting and progress to maturity they resemble preceding species.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.
This handsome sea-bird, the _Mergus serrator_ of Linnæus and most modern
ornithologists, is unfortunately a winter visitor only to English
waters. In Scotland and Ireland, however, it is one of the most familiar
coast birds all the year round. The Red-breasted Merganser cannot
readily be confused with any other Duck. The crested head and upper neck
are black, shot with green and purple, the lower neck and upper breast
are buff, streaked with black, the feathers on the sides of the breast
having broad black margins, the flanks are strongly vermiculated with
black, the back is black, vermiculated with gray on the lower portions,
the inner scapulars are black, the outer ones white, the speculum is
white, barred with black, and the underparts (except the flanks) are
white. The female has the head and neck reddish-brown, and the upper
parts brown, the black-bordered feathers on the sides of the breast are
absent. Although found in many inland districts, the favourite resorts
of the Red-breasted Merganser are wild, rocky coasts, such as contain
plenty of quiet bays and creeks, and lochs studded with islands. Waters
where the bottom is sandy or rocky, are preferred to those in which it
is composed of mud. Many birds of this species visit our coasts for the
winter from more northern haunts, whilst some of those dwelling in
Scottish waters draw southwards at that season. This Merganser is more
or less gregarious, and may be met with in flocks out at sea, or during
rough weather sheltering nearer the land in lochs. Early in spring, and
onwards through the summer, the Red-breasted Merganser lives closely in
pairs, flying and feeding in company. I have noticed that this bird
visits certain spots to feed very regularly, according to the state of
the tide; almost to the minute I could depend upon certain pairs passing
certain spots on their way to these feeding-grounds. I know of few
prettier sights than the actions of a pair of Mergansers in some quiet,
deep sea loch in early summer. The birds swim side by side close inshore
below the rocks, first one diving, and then another, rarely, if ever,
both descending at the same time when feeding; but when engaged in
courtship, the drake will pursue the duck, and splash about in the water
in a most uproarious way, often diving after her in the eagerness of his
chase. The bird swims well, if rather low in the water, and dives head
foremost with a leap just like the Shag. The food of this species
consists largely of fish, but crustaceans, crabs especially, and
molluscs are also devoured. Most of this food is obtained whilst diving,
each capture being brought to the surface to be swallowed, the bird
drinking after doing so, and not unfrequently rising three parts out of
the water and flapping its wings. The note is a guttural _kurr_, heard
chiefly during flight. The bird flies well and rapidly when once free
from the water, but often flaps along the surface for several yards
before that is accomplished.
The Red-breasted Merganser breeds in May, the eggs being laid during the
latter half of that month, and the first half of June. Although not
gregarious during this period, it is, at any rate, social, for several
pairs may be found nesting very close together, if keeping somewhat to
themselves. An island is always preferred to the mainland. The nest is
placed under a rock or bank, in a rabbit burrow, or amongst dense
heather and gorse at no great distance from the water. In many cases the
eggs are laid upon the bare ground, in others a few dry vegetable
fragments are collected into a slight hollow, but a plentiful bed of
down gradually accumulates around them. From eight to twelve olive-gray
eggs are laid, upon which the female alone sits. The male, however, is
in attendance on the water near by, and the duck joins him there during
the short periods that she leaves her charge to feed and to bathe. If
alarmed, the hen bird slips off very quietly. When the young are hatched
the drake retires to moult, and the female brings them up unaided.
Outside our islands this Merganser is widely distributed over the
northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America, drawing southwards in
winter.
GOOSANDER.
As this beautiful Duck, the _Mergus merganser_ of ornithologists, not
only occurs in some numbers in British waters as a winter visitor, but
breeds sparingly within our limits, it has some claim to be included in
the present volume, although it cannot be regarded as a very striking
feature in coast bird life. It is also far less exclusively marine than
the preceding species. The Goosander is an even more handsome bird than
the Red-breasted Merganser, and is the largest species in the present
sub-family. The colours of the male are arranged in a most effective and
strongly-contrasted way. The head and neck are dark metallic-green, the
breast is a delicate and beautiful pink, the upper parts and the wings
are black and white, the under parts below the breast white. The female
has the head reddish-brown, the upper parts grayish-brown or pale
chestnut, the lower buffish-white. In its habits and in the haunts it
frequents, the Goosander very closely resembles its smaller ally. When,
in winter, frequenting the coast it delights in the bays and fjords, but
occasionally wanders to less precipitous shores, notably estuaries and
the mouths of tidal rivers. It is a remarkably agile bird in the water,
swimming and diving with equal ease, but on the land its movements are
ungainly, the bird wriggling along with its breast almost touching the
ground, in a very Diver-like manner. In diving, it often descends to a
great depth. Although not often seen much on shore, it possesses the
Cormorant-like habit of basking on some rock jutting from the water,
sitting with its body upright and wings half expanded. Its food consists
of fish, crabs, molluscs, and aquatic insects. Most of this is obtained
whilst the bird is diving.
The Goosander, in our islands, is as yet only known to breed in a few
localities in the Highlands. Its eggs are laid during April and May. Its
favourite nesting haunts are open, swampy forests, containing lakes and
rocky streams. The nest is generally made in a hole in a tree, but
crevices in rocks, or cavities in exposed tree roots by the water side,
are sometimes selected. But little nest is made, although when the full
clutch of eggs is deposited a thick and abundant bed of down surrounds
them. The eggs are from eight to twelve in number, creamy white and
glossy. It is not known whether the drake assists in the duty of
incubation. The Goosander has a wide geographical range, which extends
over Arctic and North temperate Europe, Asia, and America, and more
southern areas during winter.
SMEW.
This species, the _Mergus albellus_ of systematists, is not only the
smallest of the Mergansers, but by far the least common in British
waters. Its visits are chiefly confined to the eastern coast line of
England and Scotland and the south coast of England. Even in these areas
adult males—from their strongly-contrasted black-and-white plumage
locally known as “Nuns”—are much more rarely met with than females and
young birds, called by the gunners of the east coast “Red-headed Smews.”
Unfortunately, the male Smew is a bird that does not approach the coast
much, and the female, from her duller colouration and small size, is
readily overlooked. Lastly, it is the least maritime of the family. The
male Smee or Smew, in nuptial plumage, is black and white—some of the
former colour displayed in curious crescentic markings on the shoulders
and in front of the wings, the elongated crest is pearly white,
emphasised by greenish black, and the flanks are finely vermiculated
with gray. The female has the head reddish-brown. During winter the Smew
is gregarious, living in flocks of thirty or forty individuals, mostly
immature. It prefers the more open water at some distance from shore,
seeking to evade pursuit by swimming, but, if fired at, diving at once
and reappearing far out of danger. When feeding most of the birds dive
at once, rising in scattered order, but soon bunching together as each
bird swims to a central rallying point. The Smew does not visit the land
much, and even sleeps upon the water. It is a most accomplished diver,
descending to great depths, and using its wings to assist it through the
water, which it traverses with as much ease as a Cormorant or an Auk.
Upon our coasts its food consists principally of small fishes and
crustaceans. Its note is a harsh _kurr_, but at its breeding grounds it
is said to utter a bell-like call, hence in Northern Asia it has been
called the “Bell Duck.”
The Smew breeds in the forest swamps of the Arctic regions, making its
nest in a hollow fallen log, or in a hole in a tree or stump. The eggs
are laid upon the powdered wood, but are eventually surrounded with a
quantity of down from the body of the parent. The seven or eight eggs,
creamy-white in colour, are laid late in June or early in July. The
ducklings are said to be conveyed to the water by the female in her
bill.
GEESE.
The Geese form an extensive and well-defined sub-family of the Anatidæ
termed Anserinæ. They are distinguished from their allies by having the
lores covered with feathers, and the tarsus reticulated back and front.
The Geese differ further from the Swans, in having a relatively longer
tarsus, and much shorter neck; and from the Ducks by their short,
robust, subconical bill. Geese frequent both land and water, inland
districts as well as the coasts and seas. The sexes do not present such
striking contrasts of colour as in the Ducks. Geese moult once in the
year, in autumn. The distribution of the sub-family is almost a
cosmopolitan one, but the New World contains the greatest number of
species. Half-a-dozen species are more or less abundant visitors to our
islands in winter, but one species only breeds within our limits, and
even this has been extirpated from most of its ancient haunts. These
half-dozen species divide themselves into two distinct groups, four of
them consisting of the Gray Geese, and two the Black Geese. The birds in
the former group are the least maritime in their haunts, visiting the
land to feed, whilst those in the latter division are inseparably
associated with the sea during their sojourn in our area. As the former
group contains the familiar “Wild Goose”—which is the original stock
from which the farmyard Goose has been derived—we will deal first with
the species contained in it.
GRAY LAG GOOSE.
This fine bird, the type of the genus _Anser_, and the _Anser cinereus_
of most modern writers, claims distinction not only as being the origin
of the domestic race, but as the one species indigenous to the British
Islands. For nearly a hundred years, however, the Gray Lag Goose has
ceased to breed in its old haunts, the English Fens; it continues to
breed, yet very locally, in the Hebrides, and in certain parts of the
Highlands. Its domestication must extend to a very ancient date; yet
captivity, beyond increasing its size and its fecundity, has caused but
trifling variation in its colour. The bird, therefore, must be too
familiar to every reader to require any description here. Once
apparently so common, the Gray Lag Goose is now one of our rarest birds,
a fact of great significance to the student of the geographical
distribution or dispersal of species. The derivation of one of this
bird’s trivial names—Lag—has given rise to much speculation, until
Professor Skeat[6] apparently solved the riddle by suggesting that the
word—which is an equivalent for late—applied to the bird’s habit of
lagging behind to breed in the Fens, after other migratory Geese had
departed north. A few Gray Lag Geese locally appear, chiefly on our
eastern seaboard in winter, and it is more than probable that, normally,
most of these birds are the individuals still continuing to inhabit the
British Islands. These birds generally resort to the coast, frequenting
sand-banks and low islands during the day, as a safe retreat in which to
rest and sleep, coming landwards again at dusk to feed. This Goose,
although gregarious during winter, seldom or never consorts with other
species, although ready enough to mingle with its tame descendants on
the stubbles and pastures. Where not persecuted, this Goose is a day
feeder: but incessant shooting has caused it to vary its habits in this
respect, and to defer its visits to dangerous grounds until darkness has
set in. It shows little partiality for water, only resorting thereto
when alarmed, or during the helpless period of its moult, when its
quills all drop out together and incapacitate it for flight. It swims
well and buoyantly, however, and when wounded has been known to dive.
The flight of this species is both rapid and powerful, the birds usually
forming into Vs or Ws to perform their journeys. The call-note is a
loud, far-sounding _gag-gag_, variously modulated on different
occasions. Its food consists largely of grass and tender grain plants,
but grain of all kinds is sought, together with various buds and leaves.
The Gray Lag Goose breeds early, in some localities the eggs being laid
in March or April, a month later in the more northern districts. It is a
social bird at this period, and numbers of nests are often made close
together. Its breeding grounds are secluded moors and swamps. The huge
nest, made on the ground, is placed amongst heath or dense vegetation,
and is composed of branches of heather, dry grass, rushes, bracken,
turf, and so on, and lined with down. The six or eight eggs are
creamy-white. The gander keeps guard close to the nest, whilst the goose
incubates the eggs; and when the young are reared a move is usually made
seawards.
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.
This Goose, the _Branta albifrons_ of Scopoli, but the _Anser albifrons_
of most modern writers, is a winter visitor to our islands, not only
local in distribution, but much more abundant in some years than others.
It may be readily distinguished from the preceding species by its
orange-yellow bill, white face (a narrow and varying line of white
feathers round the base of the bill), and broad black bars across the
belly. It is, perhaps, most abundant on the Irish coasts, those of the
south and south-west of England coming next, whilst on the east coast—a
region so famous for Wild Fowl—it becomes rare. In Scotland its
principal resorts are in the Outer Hebrides. The habits of all these
“Gray” Geese are very much alike. During winter the present species is
gregarious, and passes with great regularity from the sand-banks, where
it rests and sleeps, to the more inland pastures where it feeds. Its
food, flight, and actions generally resemble those of allied birds. The
note is said to be more harsh and cackling than that of the preceding
species, hence the name “Laughing Goose,” applied in many places to this
bird.
The White-fronted Goose breeds in the Arctic regions, and was met with
by Middendorff breeding in great numbers on the Siberian tundras. The
nest was a mere hollow at the summit of a grassy knoll, lined with down.
The eggs, from five to seven in number, are creamy-white.
BEAN GOOSE.
This species, the _Anas segetum_ of Gmelin, and the _Anser segetum_ of
modern ornithologists, is locally distributed round the British coasts
during winter, but of more general occurrence on passage, especially in
autumn. The Bean Goose may be distinguished from the two preceding Geese
by the colour of its bill, which has only the central portion
orange-yellow, the base and the nail being black. This species arrives
in our area during October and November. It is gregarious during winter,
congregating in flocks of varying size, which wander about considerably,
influenced by the exigencies of the weather and the supply of food.
These gatherings are difficult to approach. During the day the Bean
Geese come inland to search for their food, on the stubbles and
newly-sown grain lands. A long-continued frost will keep them to the
coast; but during spells of open, yet rough and stormy weather, they
prefer to remain in inland haunts, from which, however, they soon depart
at the sign of a coming frost. When feeding, Bean Geese generally
station sentinels to guard the flock by giving timely notice of the
approach of an enemy. Their food consists of grass, grain, tender shoots
of grain, and the roots of various plants. During night, when they are
certainly more easily approached, they repair to sand banks and low
islands, or to the open sea, where they sleep and preen their feathers.
This Goose swims well, but rises from water in a somewhat laboured
manner. Its note is the familiar _gag-gag_, variously modulated
according to circumstances.
The Bean Goose breeds on the Arctic tundras, beyond or near the limits
of forest growth, across Europe and Asia, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. The nest is made early in June, amongst the tall grass and
sedge of an islet on one of the tundra lakes, or on rising ground on the
bank, and is merely a hollow, into which is gathered a little dry grass
and a quantity of down from the body of the parent. In this nest three
or four creamy-white eggs are laid. As soon as the young are half-grown,
the Bean Geese begin to collect into flocks again, and to complete their
moult. Like other Geese, at this time they are very helpless, being
incapable of flight, as the quills drop out suddenly, and nearly all
together.
Allusion must here be made to the Pink-footed Goose, the _Anser
brachyrhynchus_ of Baillon, long confounded with the Bean Goose, and
perhaps only sub-specifically distinct from it. As pointed out by Mr.
Cecil Smith, the characters mainly depended upon to distinguish this
bird from the Bean Goose—pink legs and central portion of the bill—are
not constant; but this may be due to accidental reversion. A more
important difference, because apparently constant, is the bluish-gray
colour of the upper wing coverts. These, however, are questions that do
not come within the scope of the present volume, and must be left to the
more advanced students of birds. The Pink-footed Goose is a tolerably
common winter visitor to our islands, especially to the eastern
districts. Its habits are not known to differ in any important respect.
But little is known of its habits during the breeding season. The nest
is said to be made on low rocks near the sea, or on higher cliffs in the
fjords some distance inland. The four or five eggs are creamy-white.
BRENT GOOSE.
The “Black” Geese differ in many important respects from their allies
the “Gray” Geese, and are generally separated from them under the
scientific terms of _Bernicla_ or _Branta_. These birds are
characterised by their short, sub-conical bills, in which the lamellæ
are concealed, or nearly so, and by the general dark colour of the
plumage, relieved by white, or, in some cases, various
strongly-contrasted colours. Two species are British, in the sense of
visiting us during winter. The first of these the Brent Goose—the _Anser
brenta_ of Brisson, and the _Bernicla brenta_ of modern naturalists—is
by far the most common and widely distributed of the Geese in our
islands, but it exclusively confines itself to the sea. It may be met
with off almost all parts of our coast-line, but is most abundant along
the east and south. The adult bird may readily be distinguished by the
general black colouration of the breast and upper parts, relieved by
small white patches on the sides of the neck, the pale margins to the
wing coverts and mantle, and the white upper tail coverts. The lower
parts below the breast are dark slate-gray, many of the feathers having
paler margins. Young birds, however, do not display the white neck
patches. The Brent Goose is seldom seen in any numbers on our seas
before October; but from that date onwards vast flocks continue to
arrive, and the bird continues abundant until the end of the following
March. Certainly some districts are far more favoured by this species
than others. In my own experience I may name the Wash, where I have seen
this Goose in such enormous packs as densely to cover many acres of
mud-flat; whilst their noisy clamour, in the still hours of early
morning, could be heard for a mile or more across the wide, desolate
salt-marshes. The Brent Goose passes its time either on the sea or on
the muds. It is remarkably gregarious, young and old congregating
together, wary and watchful always, and never allowing a close approach
on the land. So densely do the birds pack, that a disturbed flock taking
wing looks as though the very surface of the mud or sea were rising in
one solid, inseparable mass. The principal food of this Goose consists
of grass, wrack, and laver. On certain mud-banks these plants grow very
thickly, and to these the Brents resort as soon as the tide recedes
sufficiently for them to reach and to tear up their favourite food. In
studied order the birds advance, feeding as they come, sentinels
remaining on the look-out in turn, until all are satisfied, or the
incoming tide covers their food-plants. Then back, in a solid mass, they
go towards the open sea, or to some low bank, there to rest and preen
their plumage, and to wait until another tide has ebbed, and left
exposed their pastures. This bird, for the most part, is a day feeder;
but during moonlight nights it will visit the exposed banks, doubtless
the tide having considerable influence on its habits in this respect.
The flight of this Goose, if rather laboured, is powerful and
well-sustained; and during its progression the birds often form into Vs
or Ws, or some other lineal pattern. The note of the Brent Goose is a
loud, oft-repeated, and variously-modulated _hank_ or _honk_, uttered,
not only when the bird is on the ground, but during flight.
But very little is known of the nidification of the Brent Goose. It
breeds in the highest Arctic latitudes, selecting, if possible, an
island near the coast, making a rude nest in some hollow in the ground,
of dry grass, stalks of plants, and moss, and warmly lined with down.
The four or five eggs are creamy-white in colour. The gander keeps watch
and ward near the nest, whilst the goose incubates the eggs. By the end
of July most of the Brent Geese begin to moult, and during some part of
the time they are quite incapable of flight. At this critical period
they keep closely to the sea. Mr. Trevor-Battye, in his interesting
book, _Icebound on Kolguev_, gives a graphic description of the way the
Samoyeds capture the Brent Goose whilst it is incapable of flight.
Instinctively aware of their helplessness, the Geese endeavour to get to
the sea, and on it congregate in large flocks, until their quills have
grown. But the Samoyeds cleverly surround them—often taking advantage of
a dense sea-fog to do so—and quietly drive them into a netted enclosure
on the shore, where they are killed at leisure. One of these grand
“drives” witnessed by Mr. Trevor-Battye resulted in the capture of
upwards of three thousand Brents! A form or variety of the Brent Goose,
with the under parts below the breast nearly white, is commonly found
consorting with birds of the typical colour. It is the _Bernicla
glaucogaster_ of Brehm, and, as far as is known, breeds only in the
Nearctic region. It is not known to differ in its habits from the more
typical form.
BERNACLE GOOSE.
This somewhat larger species, the _Anas leucopsis_ of Bechstein, and the
_Anser leucopsis_ of most modern naturalists, is a fairly common winter
visitor to the British coasts, where it is most abundant on the western
littoral, from Cornwall up to the Hebrides. Unlike the Brent, the
Bernacle Goose frequently wanders inland to winter on large sheets of
fresh-water. This Goose is readily distinguished by its white cheeks,
and much lighter underparts below the breast. Owing to peculiarities of
distribution, rather perhaps than to choice, the Bernacle Goose
frequents more rocky coasts than its ally. It is also just as
gregarious, but owing to the nature of its food is more of a land
species, and certainly more nocturnal in its habits. Although
frequenting sand-banks and mud-flats to sleep and to rest, it does not
obtain much food upon them. Its food is principally composed of marsh
grass, and to obtain this it comes up from the sea to the saltings, and
the banks of lakes and tidal rivers. Its flight and actions generally
very closely resemble those of the Brent Goose. The note is similar.
Nothing is known of the breeding grounds or the nesting habits of the
Bernacle Goose. It has, however, been known to breed in confinement. The
eggs are creamy white.
SWANS.
These large and handsome birds form the small but well-defined
sub-family Cygninæ. They may be distinguished from all other species in
the Anatidæ, by having the lores, or space between the eye and the base
of the bill, bare of feathers, and by their reticulated tarsus. In this
sub-family, as in the Anserinæ, the sexes are nearly alike in colour.
Swans moult only once in the year, in autumn. The young birds—known as
Cygnets—are hatched covered with down, and able to swim. In first
plumage they are uniform grayish-brown; and, unlike the Geese, they
appear not to undergo any moult during their first autumn, but after the
moult, which takes place in their second autumn, they acquire the pure
white plumage of the adult. Although this sub-family contains but seven
species, probably all referable to one genus, its distribution is wide,
embracing the Palæarctic, Nearctic, Neo-tropical, and Australian
regions. Besides the Mute Swan, two other species are British, in the
sense of visiting our area to winter.
HOOPER SWAN.
This fine bird, the _Cygnus musicus_ of Bechstein, as well as of most
modern ornithologists, is a tolerably common winter visitor to the
British Islands, frequenting inland waters as well as the coasts. It is
of more frequent occurrence in Scotland, than in England or Ireland. The
Hooper—sometimes rendered Whooper—or Whistling Swan, both names being
derived from the bird’s notes, may be distinguished from its two British
allies by having the basal portion of the bill extending below the
nostrils, yellow. Like many other species that visit us during winter
from the high north, its numbers vary a good deal in different years,
according to the mildness or severity of the winter in regions lying
directly north or north-east of our area. In periods of long continued
frost, great numbers of this Swan collect off certain parts of our
coasts, driven seawards from inland waters. This Swan is rarely seen in
British waters before October or November, whilst in some years it does
not make its appearance in certain localities before mid-winter. Its
spring migration northwards lasts through April and May. Whilst on
passage the flocks of this species form into some rectilinear figure and
fly at vast heights. Gätke remarks, that at Heligoland this Swan is seen
most frequently during long-continued frost, flights of ten, twenty, or
more, passing in long rows, one behind the other, uttering their loud
clanging cries as they go. The flight of this species is rapid and
regular, the swish swish of the long wings being heard for a long
distance, and the bird’s long neck outstretched. There are few more
graceful birds on the water than the Mute Swan, with its arched neck and
raised plumes, yet the Hooper is even ungainly looking, the neck being
held straight. Hoopers are shy and wary birds, and generally keep well
out from shore, except when feeding. The food of this Swan is mostly of
a vegetable nature, aquatic plants and grasses, but insects and molluscs
are also eaten. Its note sounds almost like the short blast of a
trumpet, uttered in succession.
The Hooper Swan breeds in the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia, its
favourite resorts being the islands in the deltas of the great rivers
that flow into the northern ocean, or on the banks of the great lakes on
the tundras, or beside one of the many creeks or inlets spreading out
from the main rivers. This Swan pairs for life. The huge nest is
composed of coarse grass and other herbage, piled up on the ground, and
often increased in bulk as incubation proceeds. The eggs, from three to
seven in number, are creamy-white in colour and rough in texture.
BEWICK’S SWAN.
Long confused with the preceding Swan, the distinctness of the present
species was recognised by Yarrell, who named it _Cygnus bewicki_, in
honour of Thomas Bewick, naturalist and engraver on wood, known to most
readers as the author of the _British Birds_ and _British Quadrupeds_.
Bewick’s Swan is only a winter visitor to the coasts and inland waters
of the British Islands, spending the summer far away in the Arctic
regions of Europe and Asia. The habits of this Swan are very similar to
those of the preceding species. The bird may be distinguished from the
Hooper by its much smaller size, and by the yellow patch at the base of
the bill being much less in extent, never extending below the nostrils.
Bewick’s Swan is perhaps not quite so maritime as the Hooper, preferring
the large inland sheets of water, and more or less sheltered lochs and
fjords, to the open sea. It is seen in greatest numbers in Ireland and
Scotland, and during severe winters visits us in greatest numbers. At
these times some of the flocks are remarkably large, numbering hundreds
or even thousands of individuals. Its food is not known to differ from
that of the preceding species; its flight is equally rapid; and its
note, short and musical, has been syllabled as _tong_. Imposing as these
birds are, and by no means rare, they can scarcely be classed as very
prominent features of the bird-life of the sea, so far as ordinary
observation goes.
Bewick’s Swan reaches its Arctic summer haunts towards the end of May.
Although its eggs have been obtained on the islands in the deltas of the
Petchora and the Yenesay, these were taken by unscientific observers.
Mr. Trevor-Battye, so far as I know, was the first naturalist to see the
nest and take the eggs of Bewick’s Swan, on the island of Kolguev. This
nest—of which he gives a beautiful figure[7]—he describes as a mound,
about two and a-half feet high, and four and a-half feet in diameter at
the base, perfectly smooth, and tapering to the circular top, which was
not more than two feet across. It was made of little bunches of green
moss, with a few scraps of lichen, and a little dry grass pulled up with
the moss. The cavity at the top was lined with dead grass, mixed with a
little down. This nest contained three eggs. These are smaller and
whiter than those of the Hooper.
_Petrels_
[Illustration: THE STORMY PETREL. Chapter vi.]