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Hi again,
Liz reminded me that a friend of ours was born in the Outer Hebrides, and
now lives in Kings Co., NS. She lent Liz a book about St.Kilda some time
ago. In it was mentioned that
- many babies died of tetanus, because midwifes rubbed Fulmar oil on the
umbilical cords to try and stop them bleeding.
- people started to evolve extra large big toes, to help them climb down the
cliffs for eggs.
Other interesting bird facts -
- there is a unique race of Winter wren there (probably a separate species)
- the St.Kilda Wren
- the shearwaters that nest there by the thousands are Manx
- approx. 65,000 Fulmars nest there
- the last Great Auk killed in Europe was killed there in 1840, as it was
found in a storm, and believed to be a witch that caused the storm.
- The world's largest colony of gannets nests there
etc.
Richard
On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 7:37 AM, Richard Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I tried googling Rev. Donald John Gillies. It seems that his book on
> St.Kilda is available on Amazon etc. He apparently has (or had) a daughter
> living in Port Coquitlam, BC. I couldn't find any info about his life in NS,
> but he apparently "traveled widely" after leaving Scotland.
>
> I have read other accounts of St.Kilda - it sounds a fascinating place,
> with the highest sea cliffs in Europe, the biggest colonies of several
> seabirds anywhere, etc. I have seen pictures of the old inhabitants
> rappelling down the cliffs to collect birds eggs (I can't remember where),
> and it looks highly difficult and dangerous. It's possible, but not easy,
> and very expensive, to visit there - there's a great web site all about the
> place at http://www.kilda.org.uk/Default.htm .
>
> BTW I have eaten puffin (I think they were roasted) as a delicacy in
> Iceland. I found them tough, fishy and horrible! There are probably people
> on NatureNS who like "Turr" (Newfoundlandese for alcids in general) and they
> may disagree.
>
> Richard
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 9, 2011 at 3:37 PM, Stephen R. Shaw <srshaw@dal.ca> wrote:
>
>> This is only obliquely triggered, by Richard Stern's mention of fulmar
>> below. On the plane flying back from UK recently I'd been reading the memoir
>> of Rev. Donald John Gillies 'The Truth about St. Kilda. An islander's
>> memoir' [ISBN: 978 1 9065666 07 4; www.birlin.co.uk]. There are other
>> books on St Kilda but apparently this is the only account of the privations
>> on the outermost, very isolated western isle off Scotland to have been
>> written by someone who was actually raised there (the main island is called
>> Hirta or Hirte). On pages 7-10 he gives an account of the birds of St.
>> Kilda upon which the inhabitants depended for food, which might be of
>> interest to some birders and others on this list if it is not already known
>> here. Gillies' account includes:
>>
>> Families got through the winter on a diet of 'salt mutton, salt fish and
>> salt fulmar'. His family had two casks (barrels?) of salted young Fulmar
>> laid down each year in order to make it through the winter. He doesn't say,
>> but these presumably were procured from nests on the cliffs by 'craggsmen'
>> on ropes.
>>
>> The first birds to migrate in after the winter, in early April, were
>> Shearwaters (species not IDd). These were caught at night with the aid of a
>> trained dog (perhaps 6 birds in a night) and were considered delicious after
>> a long winter of fulmar.
>>
>> The second birds to arrive were Puffins around May 1, seen earlier in
>> rafts of millions on the sea nearby. He mentions also seeing them elsewhere
>> after he left St Kilda, including near Bird Isle off Sydney, Cape Breton.
>> The sheath of the bill is discarded after the breeding season and was prized
>> by 'Indians for making necklaces'. As many as 150 would be killed and shared
>> out among families who couldn't collect them for themselves. Delicious
>> barbecued, he says.
>>
>> They also harvested Guillemots by lying inert on ledges on sea stacks at
>> night disguised in rock-matching clothing, picking the birds off as they
>> flew in just before dawn. All the collecting sounds dangerous. He alone
>> caught 42 in one expedition to a nearby island, others more.
>>
>> There was a large colony of gannets on Stac Lee, and apart from the danger
>> of trying to land on this sea stack, these were trickier to surprise because
>> there was always a lookout bird ('kingbird') on duty that could give the
>> alarm. If this bird could be surprised and killed, the hunt would be
>> successful. Earlier, gannets were said to have been the main food item on St
>> Kilda.
>>
>> There was also egg collection from the cliffs by craggsmen absailing on
>> ropes, though he doesn't give much detail apart from a couple of human
>> deaths.
>>
>> Gillies left St Kilda in the 1920s for the mainland and eventually
>> emigrated to Nova Scotia as an ordained minister, and travelled widely after
>> that, returning to St K in the 1960s and in 1979. As young people left the
>> island after WW1 the remaining islanders could no longer do all the heavy
>> work required to survive (e.g. peat cutting, bird collecting) and petitioned
>> the British government to relocate them to the mainland. This evacuation
>> took place in 1930, leaving St Kilda uninhabited since. The book was
>> compiled posthumously from 6 rambling notebooks written by a man raised in
>> an oral, non-literary tradition. I wouldn't recommend it as a particularly
>> gripping read, but it contains some interesting social information about the
>> traditions of the St Kildians.
>>
>> Does anyone know if anything is known about this Rev Gillies in Nova
>> Scotia, after his immigration here?
>> Steve, Halifax
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~
>>
>> Quoting Stern <sternrichard@gmail.com>:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>> Brier was quieter today - still many birds and a different mix from
>>> yesterday , but (so far) no real rarities. Fulmar and Leach's storm-petrel
>>> were interesting on this afternoon' pelagic. Bonaparte's gulls were at N.
>>> Point and Pond Cove.
>>>
>>> Richard Stern
>>> sternrichard@gmail.com
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> #################
> Dr.R.B.Stern,
> P.O. Box 300,
> Port Williams,
> N.S., Canada,
> B0P 1T0
> Richard Stern,
> Port Williams, NS, Canada
> sternrichard@gmail.com
> ###################
>
--
#################
Dr.R.B.Stern,
P.O. Box 300,
Port Williams,
N.S., Canada,
B0P 1T0
Richard Stern,
Port Williams, NS, Canada
sternrichard@gmail.com
###################
--0015174c4030ee3f4104aeefc979
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi again,<br><br>Liz reminded me that a friend of ours was born in the Oute=
r Hebrides, and now lives in Kings Co., NS. She lent Liz a book about St.Ki=
lda some time ago. In it was mentioned that <br><br>- many babies died of t=
etanus, because midwifes rubbed Fulmar oil on the umbilical cords to try an=
d stop them bleeding.<br>
- people started to evolve extra large big toes, to help them climb down th=
e cliffs for eggs.<br><br>Other interesting bird facts -<br><br>- there is =
a unique race of Winter wren there (probably a separate species) - the St.K=
ilda Wren<br>
- the shearwaters that nest there by the thousands are Manx<br>- approx. 65=
,000 Fulmars nest there<br>- the last Great Auk killed in Europe was killed=
there in 1840, as it was found in a storm, and believed to be a witch that=
caused the storm.<br>
- <font face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D"-1">The world's
largest colony of gannets nests there<br><br>etc.<br><br>Ri=
chard<br></font><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 7:37=
AM, Richard Stern <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gma=
il.com">sternrichard@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">Hi,<br><br>I tried googling Rev. Donald Joh=
n Gillies. It seems that his book on St.Kilda is available on Amazon etc. H=
e apparently has (or had) a daughter living in Port Coquitlam, BC. I couldn=
't find any info about his life in NS, but he apparently "traveled=
widely" after leaving Scotland.<br>
<br>I have read other accounts of St.Kilda - it sounds a fascinating place,=
with the highest sea cliffs in Europe, the biggest colonies of several sea=
birds anywhere, etc. I have seen pictures of the old inhabitants rappelling=
down the cliffs to collect birds eggs (I can't remember where), and it=
looks highly difficult and dangerous. It's possible, but not easy, and=
very expensive, to visit there -=A0 there's a great web site all about=
the place at <a href=3D"http://www.kilda.org.uk/Default.htm" target=3D"_bl=
ank">http://www.kilda.org.uk/Default.htm</a> . <br>
<br>BTW I have eaten puffin (I think they were roasted) as a delicacy in Ic=
eland. I found them tough, fishy and horrible! There are probably people on=
NatureNS who like "Turr" (Newfoundlandese for alcids in general)=
and they may disagree.<br>
<br>Richard<div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_qu=
ote">On Sun, Oct 9, 2011 at 3:37 PM, Stephen R. Shaw <span dir=3D"ltr"><=
srshaw@dal.ca></s=
pan> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
This is only obliquely triggered, by Richard Stern's mention of fulmar =
below. On the plane flying back from UK recently I'd been reading the m=
emoir of Rev. Donald John Gillies 'The Truth about St. Kilda. An island=
er's memoir' [ISBN: 978 1 9065666 07 4; <a href=3D"http://www.birli=
n.co.uk" target=3D"_blank">www.birlin.co.uk</a>]. =A0There are other books =
on St Kilda but apparently this is the only account of the privations on th=
e outermost, very isolated western isle off Scotland to have been written b=
y someone who was actually raised there (the main island is called Hirta or=
Hirte). =A0On pages 7-10 he gives an account of the birds of St. Kilda upo=
n which the inhabitants depended for food, which might be of interest to so=
me birders and others on this list if it is not already known here. =A0Gill=
ies' account includes:<br>
<br>
Families got through the winter on a diet of 'salt mutton, salt fish an=
d salt fulmar'. =A0His family had two casks (barrels?) of salted young =
Fulmar laid down each year in order to make it through the winter. He doesn=
't say, but these presumably were procured from nests on the cliffs by =
'craggsmen' on ropes.<br>
<br>
The first birds to migrate in after the winter, in early April, were Shearw=
aters (species not IDd). =A0These were caught at night with the aid of a tr=
ained dog (perhaps 6 birds in a night) and were considered delicious after =
a long winter of fulmar.<br>
<br>
The second birds to arrive were Puffins around May 1, seen earlier in rafts=
of millions on the sea nearby. He mentions also seeing them elsewhere afte=
r he left St Kilda, including near Bird Isle off Sydney, Cape Breton. The s=
heath of the bill is discarded after the breeding season and was prized by =
'Indians for making necklaces'. As many as 150 would be killed and =
shared out among families who couldn't collect them for themselves. Del=
icious barbecued, he says.<br>
<br>
They also harvested Guillemots by lying inert on ledges on sea stacks at ni=
ght disguised in rock-matching clothing, picking the birds off as they flew=
in just before dawn. =A0All the collecting sounds dangerous. =A0He alone c=
aught 42 in one expedition to a nearby island, others more.<br>
<br>
There was a large colony of gannets on Stac Lee, and apart from the danger =
of trying to land on this sea stack, these were trickier to surprise becaus=
e there was always a lookout bird ('kingbird') on duty that could g=
ive the alarm. =A0If this bird could be surprised and killed, the hunt woul=
d be successful. Earlier, gannets were said to have been the main food item=
on St Kilda.<br>
<br>
There was also egg collection from the cliffs by craggsmen absailing on rop=
es, though he doesn't give much detail apart from a couple of human dea=
ths.<br>
<br>
Gillies left St Kilda in the 1920s for the mainland and eventually emigrate=
d to Nova Scotia as an ordained minister, and travelled widely after that, =
returning to St K in the 1960s and in 1979. =A0As young people left the isl=
and after WW1 the remaining islanders could no longer do all the heavy work=
required to survive (e.g. peat cutting, bird collecting) and petitioned th=
e British government to relocate them to the mainland. =A0This evacuation t=
ook place in 1930, leaving St Kilda uninhabited since. =A0The book was comp=
iled posthumously from 6 rambling notebooks written by a man raised in an o=
ral, non-literary tradition. =A0I wouldn't recommend it as a particular=
ly gripping read, but it contains some interesting social information about=
the traditions of the St Kildians.<br>
<br>
Does anyone know if anything is known about this Rev Gillies in Nova Scotia=
, after his immigration here?<br>
Steve, Halifax<br>
<br>
=A0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<u></u>~~~~<br>
<br>
Quoting Stern <<a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com" target=3D"_blan=
k">sternrichard@gmail.com</a>>:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Hi,<br>
Brier was quieter today - still many birds and a different mix from yesterd=
ay , but (so far) no real rarities. Fulmar and Leach's storm-petrel wer=
e interesting on this afternoon' pelagic. Bonaparte's gulls were at=
N. Point and Pond Cove.<br>
<br>
Richard Stern<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">sternrichard@gm=
ail.com</a><br>
Sent from my iPhone<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br></div></div><font color=3D"#88=
8888">-- <br>#################<br>Dr.R.B.Stern,=A0=A0 <br>P.O. Box 300,<br>=
Port Williams,<br>N.S., Canada,<br>B0P 1T0<br>Richard Stern, <br>Port Willi=
ams, NS, Canada<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">sternrichard@gm=
ail.com</a><br>
###################<br>
</font></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>################=
#<br>Dr.R.B.Stern,=A0=A0 <br>P.O. Box 300,<br>Port Williams,<br>N.S., Canad=
a,<br>B0P 1T0<br>Richard Stern, <br>Port Williams, NS, Canada<br><a href=3D=
"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">sternrichard@gmail.com</a=
><br>
###################<br>
--0015174c4030ee3f4104aeefc979--
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