r 



NOTES ON MIGRATORY BIRDS 2 7 



headed Wagtail ; on the 30th, Reed-buntings, Woodcock, a Blyth's 

 Reed-warbler, and the Black Chat. 



October. The movements during October were frequently 

 of great magnitude. From the 12th to the end of the month 

 there were remarkable rushes, during favouring weather conditions, 

 of migrants. During this period the island was invaded by 

 thousands of Starlings, Fieldfares, Redwings, Thrushes, Blackbirds 

 considerable numbers of Woodcock, Snipe, Bramblings, Snow- 

 buntings; and a lot of Duck, Wild Geese (Grey Lag and White- 

 fronted), Ring-ouzels, Redbreasts, Reed-buntings, Short-eared Owls, 

 Glaucous Gulls, etc. On the 1st, another Blyth's Reed-warbler 

 Water-rail, and Chiff-chaff; on the 2nd, Richard's Pipit; on the 

 4th, Goldeneyes (8) ; on the 5th, Long-tailed Ducks ; on the 

 7th, Waterhen and Tufted Duck ; on the 9th, a Wood Lark ; on 

 the nth, Glaucous Gull; on the 14th, a Jackdaw and Short-eared 

 Owls; on the 17th, a Shore Lark; on the 19th, a Rook; on the 

 24th, Yellow Buntings and Iceland Gull; on the 26th, a Pochard; 

 on the 29th, a female Northern Bullfinch. 



November. No marked movements are chronicled for 

 November. On the 4th, a Great Northern Diver (the second Fair 

 Isle record) ; on the 6th, a female Blackcap (the latest date for the 

 island) ; on the 29th, the first Little Auk for the season was 

 observed. 



The species remarkable for the numbers in which they appeared 

 are the following. The Blackcap, which was observed from 21st 

 September to 6th November, and was exceptionally abundant in 

 the crofts from 28th September to 2nd October, when many were 

 seen in search of insects on the refuse at high-water mark. Seventy 

 Green Sandpipers were observed between 1st and 26th August; 

 very few having been seen in any season of previous years. Common 

 Sandpipers, Greenshanks, Sanderlings, Goldeneyes, were also more 

 numerous than usual. 



Among the species which have usually been observed in previous 

 autumns, and were either absentees or escaped notice, are the 

 Red-spotted Bluethroat, the Yellow-browed Warbler, and the 

 Siberian Chiff-chaff. The Mistle - thrush, Goldcrest, Tree-pipit, 

 Red-backed Shrike, Redstart, Kestrel, and a few others were not 

 nearly so well represented in the autumn of 191 2 as in past years. 



The following are the Rarer Visitors observed during the year : 

 Black Chat. An adult male of this South-western European 



species was present on the island from 28th to 30th September. 



It was several times distinctly seen, but always kept just beyond 



