BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY, ORKNEY 155 



season, and were seldom seen except singly. One of the 

 natives, however, a bit of a shot himself, informs me they were 

 earlier than usual this year in their arrival ; many having been 

 seen at the beginning of July, and large flights having occurred 

 later on in that month. A single Phalarope (Phalaropus 

 hyperboreus) was still hanging about the breeding-place, and 

 I caught a young bird in down with the quills just beginning 

 to show. Saw a flight of nine Teal (Querquedula crecca), but 

 failed to get on terms with them. Aug. 10 proved a 

 wet, stormy day, wind W. to S.W. I was out for a time, 

 but saw nothing of interest except a Richardson's Skua 

 (Stercorarins crepidatus] flying south over the island. 

 Aug. II. Very stormy from the west, with fine rain in 

 afternoon. Mr. Traill and myself were both out, but saw 

 nothing special. Aug. I 3. Wet in morning, fine afternoon. 

 Shot a single Knot from a fair-sized flock of Golden Plover ; 

 this is the only Knot we saw this season, generally a common 

 bird here during the latter half of August. Saw the first 

 Sanderling (Calidris arenaria) among a small flock of Ring 

 Plover ; Sanderlings were fairly common before I left on 

 Sept. 19. Aug. 14 was a dull, breezy day; we went out 

 fishing in the firth. The only bird of interest we saw was a 

 Fulmar {Fulmarus glacialis] which came circling close to the 

 boat just before we stood for home in the evening. It 

 appeared to be very dark coloured on the back, probably a 

 young bird. Aug. 17 was a fine day, but cold. Traill and 

 I were out all day shooting ; we saw a flock of ten Whimbrels, 

 the only good-sized flock seen during my stay. At 10 p.m. 

 it was blowing a gale from the south-east. Aug. 1 8 was 

 a beautiful morning after the gale of last night. Four 

 Curlews {Numcnius arquata] along the shore of Gretchen Loch. 

 Three Richardson's Skuas along the shore of the South Bay, 

 two of which I secured ; they were wonderfully bold, and 

 seemed little afraid of the sound of a gun when enframed in 



o o o 



pursuit of a luckless Gull or Tern ; they were all of the dark 

 variety. This Skua was very common about the island this 

 autumn, generally in close attendance on the large flocks of 

 Terns which frequent several well-known points of rock at 

 low water. I only saw two of these Skuas in the black and 

 white plumage. This same morning I saw three Ravens 



