THE BIRDS OF FAIR ISLE, NATIVE AND MIGRATORY 69 



THE BIRDS OF FAIR ISLE, NATIVE AND 



MIGRATORY. 



By WM. EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E., F.L.S. 

 ( Continued from p. 21.) 



WHEATEAR, Saxicola cenanthe. The Wheatear is a summer visitor 

 to the island, and is common ; but the large numbers present, 

 during the first half of September included, no doubt, many 

 birds on their passage southwards. There was a marked 

 decrease on the part of this and other migratory birds on 

 1 5th September. There were fresh arrivals on the 25th, 

 which, however, soon departed, but a few representatives of 

 the species were still present down to yth October, the day of 

 our leaving the island. A few males with vestiges of their 

 summer dress were seen during the early days of September. 



THRUSH, Turdus musicus. On our arrival and down to i6th 

 September we constantly saw one or more Thrushes in a 

 ravine formed by the course of one of the burns on the east 

 side of the island. We were somewhat puzzled in what light 

 to regard these birds, but the matter was set at rest on the date 

 named by the shooting, on suspicion, of a bird which proved 

 to be a young Thrush only recently out of the nest ; and 

 thus the breeding of this species on the island was established. 

 This interesting fact created some surprise among the Natives, 

 and led to inquiries among themselves, which elicited the 

 information that the Mavis had been seen in the ravine 

 throughout the summer. 



The Thrush is common on passage. The first birds of 

 the autumn of 1905 appeared on i3th September, and were 

 followed by others on the i6th ; on which day they were more 

 abundant than at any other date during our stay. A few were 

 observed down to 4th October. 



REDWING, Turdus iliacus. This was another of the migrants which 

 appeared with, and participated in, the great rush of 23rd and 

 25th September, though it was not very numerous. The 

 greatest immigration of this species during our visit took place 

 on the night of 2nd October, and on the 3rd small flocks 

 containing a score or more of these birds were seen. The 

 species was present in fair numbers on the following days, i.e., 

 down to our departure. 



FIELDFARE, Turdus pilaris. This species occurs commonly on 

 passage, but had not appeared by the end of the first week of 

 October, and thus did not come under our notice. Mr. George 



