THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF TIREE 



75 



the nostrils, whilst the birds are flying high in the air 

 -[J. A. H.-B.] 



Mistle-thrush {Tu r du s viscivorus). This bird is a frequent 

 straggler to this island, and is only to be seen singly and always 

 away from habitations. Some years it arrives as early as the 

 beginning of November ; but the birds are very irregular in their 

 coming and going. I have seen an odd one as late as the 

 beginning of March. They are very shy while here, and always 

 keep the open ground. 



Song-thrush {Tardus musicus). Song-thrushes are very regular 

 in arriving about the same time every year. They begin to come in 

 the latter end of October in ones and twos, and gradually increase, 

 until by the middle of November they have spread all over the 

 island. They frequent ditches and old turf-walls, gardens and 

 stackyards, and almost anywhere where they can obtain shelter 

 from the wind. They feed principally on worms, but during hard 

 frost they obtain food by scratching up the rotting seaweed on the 

 sea-shore. This bird has nested twice on the island to my know- 

 ledge, the first time in some rough herbage. However, some 

 children found the nest and smashed the eggs. The next time I 

 found a nest at the bottom of a whin bush. It contained four eggs, 

 but a few days later, while on my way past, I looked in and found 

 the nest was empty. The Song-thrush begins to leave here about 

 the beginning of March. It gradually dribbles away, until by the 

 middle of March there are very few to be seen. 



Redwing {Tardus iliacus). Redwings usually arrive a little 

 later than the Song-thrush, and are much more irregular in their 

 coming and going. Some winters they are extraordinarily abundant 

 all over the place, in fact and in others they are rather scarce. 

 When Redwings are abundant during November it is always a good 

 Snipe year in Tiree. They remain off and on, sometimes as late as 

 the beginning of April. They leave the island altogether when a 

 storm of snow and frost occurs, but always return when milder 

 weather ensues. They feed somewhat the same as the Song-thrush, 

 except that I seldom notice them feeding among the decaying 

 seaweed on the sea-shore. 



Fieldfare {Tardus pilaris). This bird is pretty regular in its 

 time of passing, which is about the last days of October or the first 

 days of November, but they are very irregular in their stay here. 

 Some years a considerable number remain for a time, both in their 

 passage south and their passage north in spring; while in other 

 years they pass on without stopping, except for a day or so. They 



