1909. Patten. — OniHho logy of Skerries^ Co. Dublbu 195 



Mergansers flying at some height over the sea, while only a 

 hundred yards from the edge of the rocks (the tide being out) 

 we had a fine view of a Great Northern Diver. We took the 

 time of several immersions and found 20 seconds as the aver- 

 age. This large, heavy bird, on tilting its hind quarters well 

 upwards, plunges with great suddenness, but makes far less 

 splash than the Cormorant. This was easily observed, as 

 several of the latter were fishing close by. Proceeding onward 

 we explored the great slabs of rock near ' Long-Leg.' From 

 off these several Wood-Pigeons rose. Our curiosit}^ then be- 

 came aroused as to what brought these birds there. We soon 

 discovered ; on the slabs were strewn numbers of pellets of 

 Herring-Gulls, which contained undigested grains of oats and 

 wheat. The pellets had been opened b}^ the Pigeons and the 

 wheat picked out to a large extent. Reaching ' Long-Leg ' we 

 descried an immense flock of Lapwings and Golden Plovers 

 rise to a great height from the reef and disappear. A Red- 

 shank indulging in a bath in a little pool on the strand indig- 

 nantly gave chase to a Black-headed Gull which came too 

 close. We noted in several cases how Redshanks etched the 

 sand in short curved lines b}^ drawing their beaks from side to 

 side. These lines, therefore, as the birds ran along, inter- 

 sected the long track of foot-prints almost at a right angle. On 

 ' Bower-Rock,' beyond ' Long-Leg,' numbers of Cormorants 

 were perched on the pointed peaks. Here we saw five Scoters 

 flying over the waves, their wing-movements being very rapid. 

 Near Balbriggan another large ' diver ' appeared off the shore. 

 Examined with the binocular we were very interested to dis. 

 cover that it was a Black-throated Diver, still retaining on 

 the throat the conspicuous black marking of the adult nuptial 

 plumage. We watched the bird in the calm water for some 

 lime, and as it remained close to us we were afforded ample 

 opportunity of examining it critically. Its average time under 

 water was 30 seconds. Close to where the bird was diving a 

 seal put up its head, and a porpoise was rolling about. The 

 tide was now quite low, and, scanning the rocks, I caught a 

 glimpse of a hawk's head. We rapidl}* sought more elevated 

 ground, from whence we had a full view of the bird. With the 

 aid of the binocular we found it was a Merlin in immature 

 plumage. There stood, bolt upright, the spirited little falcon. 



