BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY, ORKNEY 153 



This is the first occurrence here of this species, so far as my 

 observation goes. 



WOOD WARBLER, Phylloscopus sibilatrix. This warbler, 

 at one time very rare, is now fairly common, but local in its 

 distribution. At the present time several pairs are breeding 

 here. 



GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Loctistella ncevia. Once fairly 

 common, now exceedingly rare. In some seasons only one 

 or two are heard, in others none at all. 



This district is in some parts very open and exposed to 

 cold winds, which may account for the scarcity of the more 

 delicate of the summer visitors. 



WELLWOOD, MUIRKIRK, i^th June 1896. 



BIRD NOTES FROM NORTH RONALDSHAY, 



ORKNEY. 



By ALLAN BRIGGS. 

 Autumn 1896. 



HAVING spent some seven weeks of the past autumn with 

 my brother-in-law, Mr. Traill, in his island home, North 

 Ronaldshay, I thought it might be of some interest to your 

 readers to hear of the movements of birds there during the 

 few weeks of my stay. In the first place, the weather, take 

 it all in all, was of the worst description very wet and 

 stormy, the wind blowing gales first from one direction and 

 then from another. The prevailing winds during August 

 were more or less from the west. During September, up to 

 the 1 8th, the wind blew mostly from the east or south-east, 

 sometimes backing north of east. One of the most remark- 

 able incidents of this autumn was the early arrival of many 

 members of the Passeres ; the first arrivals being noticed on 

 the 2nd Sept., increasing in numbers daily up to the I2th, 

 whereas in past seasons numbers have not come in until 

 23 C 



