MIGRATORY BIRDS OBSERVED AT FAIR ISLE 55 



European summer bird should have been recorded for this remote 

 northern isle during the past five years. 



* Hobby (Fa/co subbuted). An adult male was captured on 7th 

 May, and is an addition to the avifauna of the island. 



* Sparrow-Hawk {Accipiter nisus). An adult female obtained 

 on 12 th May may be regarded as the first authentic record since the 

 days of Dr Saxby of the occurrence of this species in Shetland. 



* Bean-Goose (Anserf aba/is). A male of this species was shot 

 on 10th January, and its head and feet sent to me for identification. 

 Three White-fronted Geese were obtained at the same time. This 

 species is new to the avifauna of the island. At the time of writing 

 their Fauna of Shetland (1899) Messrs Evans and Buckley had 

 no authentic information relating to the occurrence of this species in 

 the northern archipelago, and none has been added since to the 

 writer's knowledge. 



* Smew (Mergus albellus). One, an adult female, obtained on 

 21st January, is new to the fauna of the island. 



* Stone-Curlew {CEdicnemus cedicnemus). On 7th June an 

 adult female visited the island, and was a novelty to its fauna. 

 This species is only known to have twice visited Scotland, both to 

 the mainland and far south (Fife and Stirlingshire). 



Ruff (Machetes pugnax). The first spring record of the appear- 

 ance of this bird at the island is chronicled for 5th June. 



Little Stint (Tringa minuta). One which appeared on 2nd 

 June is the first known spring passage visit of this species to the 

 island. 



Temminck's Stint {Tringa temmincki). A single bird appeared 

 on 13th May and remained for several days. It proved to be a 

 female in partial summer plumage. 



Bartailed Godwit (Limosa lapponicd). The second known 

 instance the first for spring of the visit of single birds of this 

 species is chronicled for 20th May. 



In addition to the birds specially treated of, the following 

 uncommon species also occurred. In SPRING: Golden Oriole, 

 Ortolan, Grey-headed Wagtail, Wood-Warbler, Grasshopper 

 Warbler, Black Redstart, and Arctic Bluethroat. In 

 Autumn : Greater Redpoll (A. I. rostratci), Little Bunting, 

 Ortolan, Lapp Bunting, Shore - Lark, Barred Warbler, 

 Siberian Chiffchaff, Yellow-browed Warbler, Black Redstart, 

 and Arctic Bluethroat. 



