FURTHER BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY 85 



SNOWY OWL (Nyctea scandiaca). A bird of this species was shot on 

 the 2yth of February, while sitting on a ruined building. It 

 was still alive when brought to me. On dissection it proved 

 to be a female, and weighed 5! Ibs., with a spread of wing of 

 5 feet 3 inches. Some time after this, another was seen near 

 the lighthouse, but it did not stay any time. 



FALCON (Falco}. On the 8th September, when standing at the 

 house door, I saw a large Falcon soaring in circles at a con- 

 siderable distance from where I was ; I went towards it, but it 

 sailed away towards the north, and I did not follow. Next 

 day, when out after Snipe, I again saw the bird sitting on the 

 sheep-dyke, about one hundred yards distant ; he was facing 

 towards me, and there was no means of getting nearer. I saw 

 the bird well through my binocular ; he was nearly pure white 

 on the breast and under parts, and when it rose and went 

 gliding along the dyke which it presently did I noticed 

 that it was rather darker on the upper portion of the plumage. 

 The bird remained about the island for several days, and I saw 

 it on several occasions, but I could never approach nearer than 

 100 or 150 yards. I was informed that it killed several tame 

 ducks during its stay. 



MERLIN (Falco izsaloii). Very plentiful this autumn ; much more so 

 than usual. On one ocasion I saw a pied bird. 



BRENT GOOSE (Bernicla brenta). On the 23rd October I saw two 

 Brent at the north end, near the lighthouse. I was informed 

 that four Geese of a larger size had been seen there about ten 

 days before. While Snipe-shooting on the 2yth October, my 

 firing roused three Geese off the sea, close to which I was 

 shooting ; these were large birds, but being a good distance 

 out and the day being dull, I did not identify them. 



SHOVELLER (Spatula clypeata}. Numbers of Shovellers seen during 

 the breeding season, but scarce after shooting began ; indeed I 

 only saw four after ist August. During the month of June 

 I have counted as many as nine Shoveller drakes on the Mill 

 Loch at one time. In all likelihood the ducks were sitting in 

 the marshes of Sanday, where Meiklejohn and myself found 

 four nests one day in May. 



PINTAIL (Dafila acitta). A pair of these birds remained about a 

 week on the Mill Loch during the latter half of May. I first 

 saw them on the i5th of the month, and after seeing them for 

 several consecutive days, had hopes of their remaining to 

 breed ; however, they eventually took their departure. On the 

 23rd October I shot a young male on Garso Loch. 



WIGEON (Mareca penelope). During May and June there were 

 always pairs, or odd drakes about the Mill Loch ; we searched 



