NOTES ON BIRDS OBSERVED IN SHETLAND 213 



SEA EAGLE, Haliatus albicilla. This noble bird formed one of the 

 main objects of my visit. It still maintains its hold in a few 

 localities, and is met with frequently during the time of the 

 spring migration. I found it occupying two haunts, one of 

 which had not been tenanted for a number of years back. On 

 our approach to this eyrie, we saw the Erne, which appeared 

 to be almost wholly white, perched on the cliff-head, and we 

 rowed our boat close in under the rocks before she took flight. 

 The nest had been thrown down a few days previous to our 

 visit, and lay strewn at the base of the rocks. My companion 

 and I climbed without difficulty to the occupied ledge, situated 

 under a slanting rock about 25 or 30 feet from high-water 

 mark. On again rowing past the rocks at night, we saw the 

 Eagle resting on the summit. I made careful inquiries to 

 ascertain if the nest had been robbed, and talked with natives 

 who had climbed to it before my visit, but I could not hear of 

 any eggs having been taken. It was, however, a satisfaction to 

 know that the bird only one was positively seen --had 

 escaped molestation. 



The other eyrie visited by me has been long established, 

 and is allowed to remain in peace. The sitting bird, on being 

 disturbed, flew slowly back and forward in front of the cliffs, 

 pursued by Herring Gulls, and uttered its " yelping " note several 

 times. 



PEREGRINE, Falco peregrinus. Bred at one of the eyries referred to 

 under the last species. I saw the female bird on one occasion 

 pursued by two Richardson's Skuas, to whom she paid no atten- 

 tion. I saw the bird also at Fethaland. 



MERLIN, Falco czsalon. I did not discover any breeding-haunt of 



the Merlin, and during this visit to Shetland I met with it only 



once in Yell. 

 KESTREL, Falco tinnnnculus. On the same cliff referred to above as 



tenanted by Erne and Peregrine, a pair of Kestrels safely brought 



off their young. 



CORMORANT, Phalacrocorax carbo. This species is very much rarer 

 and much more local than its congener. During my stay in 

 Delting I frequently met with single birds, both inland and 

 around the islands lying to the south of Yell Sound. In 1895 

 I saw a single pair on the Island of Vaila. 



SHAG, Phalacrocorax graculus. Very abundant around the Shetland 

 coast, and nesting generally on inaccessible cliffs. Single birds 

 sometimes resorted to inland lochs to fish. 



HERON, Ardea rinerea. This non- breeding species occurs as a 

 straggler even in midsummer in Shetland. I saw one in 

 Aithsting on i3th June, and another near Mavisgrind on soth 



