The Fulmar Petrel becomes by far the most interesting at its breeding
stations. These, however, are isolated and few. In the British area
there is only one important nesting place of this species, and that is
at St. Kilda—a group of rocky turf-covered islets, that form an ideal
haunt for every species of Petrel that frequents the British seas, or
even a considerable portion of the North Atlantic. A fortnight’s sojourn
on St. Kilda has made me familiar with many of the Fulmar’s habits
during the breeding season. It is the bird of all others characteristic
of the place; one is reminded of its presence in many ways, but most
persistently by the strong smell emitted by this and all birds of the
Petrel family, and which scents everything and every person on the
islands. The Fulmar is extremely gregarious during the breeding season,
and many thousands of birds congregate here during the summer. It is
also exceedingly attached to its breeding places, visiting them season
by season, for time out of mind, and very probably pairs for life. At
St. Kilda, its favourite nesting places are on the downlike cliffs,
places where the soil is deep and loamy, and allows the bird to excavate
a hollow of varying depth. But there is not sufficient accommodation of
this kind for all, and great numbers have to resort to the ledges,
crevices, and hollows on the face of the beetling cliffs, or find a site
in some cranny amongst the rough piled-up masses of rock. Wherever
possible, the Fulmar evidently likes to burrow into the ground, but the
hole in most cases is not big enough to conceal the bird. These hollows
are lined with a little dry grass, but in many instances a nest of no
kind is made. Some of the nests I examined on the bare ledges of the
cliffs, were made of small bits of rock. Vast numbers of nests are made
close together, and from a distance the sitting birds—all blended
together—look like patches of snow. The Fulmar lays but a single egg
each season, white in colour, rough and chalky in texture, and with a
strong pungent smell, which is retained by the shell for years after the
egg has been taken. This egg is laid in May.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account