SPRING BIRD-NOTES FROM SCOTTISH ISLANDS 173 





SPRING BIRD-NOTES FROM VARIOUS 

 SCOTTISH ISLANDS. 



By the Duchess of Bedford, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Honorary Member of the 



British Ornithologists' Union. 



(Plates I.-VIII.) 



The following notes have been made during two cruises 

 round the north and west coasts of Scotland this summer. 



My yachting season began with the usual spring visit 

 to Fair Isle on the 29th April. The north-west wind, which 

 favours landing on this often inaccessible island, is not the 

 one which is most conducive to the arrival of migrant birds, 

 and it was not until the 8th May that any number of them 

 appeared. 



On that day, when the wind had been blowing strongly 

 for some hours from the east and rain had fallen heavily, a 

 Swallow flew slowly in at my window and settled on the 

 window-sill, a welcome sight to one who had been tramping 

 over the island for hours every day, seeing little but the 

 resident birds. 



A very short walk from my cottage revealed that a 

 number of the common migrants had arrived, as well as 

 many of the more local species, such as White Wagtails, 

 Pied Flycatchers, etc., but the only birds worthy of special 

 note were the Ortolan Buntings. It was difficult to estimate 

 their number, for, as all too often happens on Fair Isle, the 

 weather which brings the birds makes watching them all 

 but impossible ; but every little patch of ploughed land held 

 one or more, and I can only have seen a very small propor- 

 tion of the arrivals. They remained on the island a few 

 days in rapidly decreasing numbers. 



On the 15th May, when steaming up the Moray Firth, 

 I saw a small flock of about twelve to fifteen Brent Geese. 

 At the Shiant Isles a very pretty Pied Puffin was 

 observed. 



On the 23rd May I visited St Kilda. The most common 

 birds inland at the time of my visit were Whimbrels, 



