June, 1909. The Irish NaturalisU 121 



THE WHITE WAGTAII, IN COUNTY DUBININ- 



BY ALEXANDKR WIIvIvIAMS, R.H.A. 



[Read before the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club, December 8, 1908.] 



The movements of the White Wagtail {Motacilla alba) on 

 the line of its spring migration on the west coast of Ireland 

 have been, from time to time, carefiill}' recorded by our veteran 

 naturalist, Robert Warren. The island of Bartragh, in Killala 

 Bay, at the mouth of the River Moy, seems to be a favourite 

 resort, and, on one occasion, a specimen was obtained so far 

 west as Achill Island. From the east coast of Ireland, it 

 would appear that no occurrence has so far been authenti- 

 cated, though it is only reasonable to suppose that, at the 

 proper time, a migration does take place. The Rev. Dr. 

 Benson^ mentions having seen at Balbriggan, in September, a 

 Wagtail, which he believed to be Motacilla alba. Unfortunately 

 immature individuals of both species, the Pied and the White 

 in transition, have so much pale grey in their plumage, and 

 are so similar in appearance, that even when handled it is 

 very puzzling to determine them. 



In the year following, April, 1904, a friend living on the 

 Pigeon-house Road, Ringsend, so accurately described two 

 pairs of Wagtails that frequented for a couple of days the 

 vegetable gardens attached to the Coastguard Station there, 

 that I had little doubt they were migrating White Wagtails, 

 especially when he mentioned that he had noticed similar 

 birds, more than once, at that time of the year. This locality 

 appears to be in the direct line of spring migrants, as I have 

 regularly gone there to search for early appearances of the 

 ^\i^2X^2iX{Saxicola oenanthe), an adult male of which I observed 

 as early as the 21st of March, 1907. 



A couple of days after w\y friend had noticed the Wagtails at 

 Ringsend, whilst I was resting near the roadside at Robb's 

 Wall, between Malahide and Portmarnock, on April 24th, a 

 bright sunny day, with a southerly wind, four Wagtails 

 suddenly alighted on a bit of sandy beach, between the rocks, 

 and, after resting quietly for a few moments, commenced 

 searching the refuse above high-water mark for food. They 

 were so close, about 10 yards off, that I had a perfect view, 



^ Irish Naturalist^ vol. xii., 1903. 



