NOTES ON BIRDS OBSERVED IN THE SCOTTISH ISLANDS 11 



to see if there was anything of interest amongst the smaller 

 waders. There are a great many Sanderlings still present, 

 but very few Dunlins, and I only saw one Knot. The 

 majority of the small waders were Ringed Plovers. In a 

 pool amongst the seaweed-covered rocks I saw one Green- 

 shank, and near it a few Turnstones. Lapwings were 

 plentiful. 



Leaving the shore I walked towards Eoligarry House, 

 disturbing a Peregrine from its " kill " on the way. Rock 

 Pigeons were still feeding on the stubble. In the little 

 graveyard near the house I saw five Redwings. The 

 cornstalks in the farmyard were covered with Twites and 

 Tree Sparrows, the latter being here to the exclusion of 

 their commoner relatives. There were a good many Corn 

 Buntings also. A few Blackbirds, Thrushes, and a Hedge- 

 Sparrow completed my list of 43 species seen during 

 the day. 



WOBURN ABBEY, BEDFORDSHIRE. 



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF MAY. 

 9TH SEPTEMBER STH OCTOBER 1907. 



By LEONORA JEFFREY RINTOUL AND EVELYN V. BAXTER. 



THE Isle of May, situated at the entrance to the Firth of 

 Forth, is a little over a mile in length by about a quarter of 

 a mile in breadth, precipitous to the south and west, sloping 

 to the north and east. The formation is basaltic ; the cliffs 

 which on the west side of the island rise to the height of 

 1 80 ft. are, in the nesting season, the home of innumerable 

 Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins, Kittiwakes, and a few Her- 

 ring Gulls, but the crumbling nature of the rock renders any 

 attempt at cliff-climbing an extremely dangerous under- 

 taking. By the time we arrived the breeding season was 

 over and the cliffs deserted, but we were amply compensated 

 for this deprivation by the fact that the island, which is most 

 favourably situated for their visits, was resorted to by many 

 interesting migratory birds : to observe these was the main 



