BIRD NOTES FROM UNST, SHETLAND 211 



BLACKBIRD (Turdus mertila). First nest, with four eggs, found 



3rd May. 

 RING-DOVE (Columba palumbus}. First seen at Halligairth on loth 



May, wind N.E., strong. Last seen 25th May. 

 FIELDFARE (Turdus pilaris). Numbers largely increased on 3rd 



May. Last seen i4th May. 



SWIFT (Cypsdus apus}. One seen at Baltasound, 25th May. 

 MARTIN (Chelidon urbica). Eight seen at Baltasound, 25th May. 

 CUCKOO (Cuailus canorus). One seen at Maillans, 2 8th May, 



wind W. 

 GANNET (Sula Bassana). Caught alive at Norwick by a woman on 



28th May. The bird had ventured up a narrow burn, and 



being unable to rise for want of room, was easily captured by 



the woman, who threw her jacket round it. 



ARCTIC TERN (Sterna inacrnra). Arrived 2gth May. 

 LANDRAIL (Crex pratensis). First heard, 11.30 P.M., 5th June. 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator). Nest with eight 

 fresh eggs found i3th June. 



TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus). For several years I have 

 believed that the Tree Sparrow has nested here, having seen 

 it under circumstances which allowed of little doubt that such 

 was the case. At last my watching has led to a satisfactory 

 result, for on i3th June I found a nest with five eggs. The 

 nest was built into a hole in the south wall of the family 

 burial-ground which adjoins the garden at Halligarth ; it was 

 composed externally of grass and some rootlets, and was lined 

 with feathers of gulls, hens, crows, etc., and a little black 

 horse- hair. It was altogether a more tidy, or rather less 

 untidy, structure than the nest of the House Sparrow. I 

 cannot claim the credit of being the first observer to report 

 the occurrence of the Tree Sparrow in Shetland during the 

 breeding . ^.son, though I do not think the nest or eggs have 

 been found and identified before. 



GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (Colymbus glacialis). A fine specimen, a 

 male, was brought to me alive on loth July. A fisher lad had 

 caught it sitting on a rock at the mouth of the harbour of 



o o 



Baltasound ; it seemed in a very exhausted condition. The 

 lad said the bird was " sitting on its stomach " and tried to 

 scramble to the sea, shuffling along with its breast close to the 

 ground. I kept the bird for some time, but never once saw it 

 assume an erect attitude. 



CROSSBILL (Loxia eurvirostra). Four seen by Mr. Henry Suther- 

 land of Baltasound on Sunday, igth July. Wind, E. to N.E. 



