THE BIRDS OF THE FLANNAN ISLANDS 17 



? BLACK REDSTART (Ruticilla titys}. A bird with a red tail, 

 entered in the schedules as a " Redstart," was observed on the 

 island on the loth and 28th of November 1903, and was 

 doubtless this species. 



WHEATEAR (Saxicola xnanthe). Was very abundant during the 

 whole of our visit. There were considerable arrivals on the 

 night of the yth of September, along with Pipits and White 

 Wagtails ; and again along with the same species at 2.30 A.M. 

 on the nth, when it was observed at the lantern, and was in 

 swarms all over the island during the day. There was another 

 arrival on the i 7th, when it appeared at the lantern from 1 1 P.M. 

 onwards. All the birds observed were, with one exception, in 

 the russet plumage of autumn and winter : the exception was 

 a male, which still displayed traces of summer plumage. 

 About four pairs of Wheatears nest annually on the island, but 

 numbers seek it while on migration. The earliest arrivals in 

 the spring are noted for the yth of April, and the passage lasts 

 until the 2Oth of May, on which date, in 1904, great numbers 

 appeared at midnight. 



The earliest date in the autumn for the appearance of 

 immigrants is the nth of August, and the latest on the 8th 

 of October. 



WREN (Troglodytes parvulus}. Wrens are seen occasionally during 

 the autumn and winter months. We hoped to have procured 

 specimens of this bird, but if it was present during our visits 

 it eluded all our attempts to detect it, which was possible, 

 owing to the extent and nature of the steep faces with which 

 the island is surrounded. However, we do not think it 

 probable that the bird was there in September 1904. 



It has been observed in January (once), February (twice), 

 March (once), October (four times), and November (four times), 

 On all these occasions, except i2th November 1904, when 

 three were seen, single specimens only came under observation. 



PIED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa atricapilla). Was first observed 

 on the 1 3th of September, when three were seen busily engaged 

 capturing insects on the face of rocks in a rift in the cliffs on 

 the north side of the island as wild a spot as it is possible to 

 imagine. Here these birds were seen daily until the 2oth, and 

 perhaps remained beyond that date. All were in the gray 

 dress of autumn. This species is, I believe, an addition to the 

 avifauna of the Outer Hebrides. 



SWALLOW (Hirundo rustled}. A casual visitor on passage, whose 

 few visits in spring are chronicled for May and June. In the 

 autumn it has twice been noted for September. The greatest 

 number seen was on the 26th May 1903, when twelve appeared. 



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