ii8 The Irish Natural i^it July, 



THE WINTER OF 1916-17 AND TTS EFFECT ON 

 BIRD-LIFE IN CO. DOWN. 



BY XEVIN H. FOSTER, M.B.O.U. 



Mr. C. B. Moffat's account (p. 89 ante) of the effects of 

 the severe winter of 1916-17 on the avifauna of Co. Wexford 

 gives a vivid picture of the exceptional conditions there 

 prevaihng. The weather in North-East Ireland, though 

 severe, presented a great contrast to that experienced in 

 the South-East. The meteorological data at my disposal 

 are rather meagre, but from my few notes and recollections 

 it ma}^ be taken that the following conditions obtained 

 here. December : — Till middle of month mild, I5th-20th 

 hard frost, 20th thawing (on this da}^ we had lightning and 

 thunder), from 20th till end of month a succession of short 

 frosts and thaws. January : — Weather during this month 

 not severe — several sharp frosts which however only lasted 

 for a few days. February : — Intermittent frosts of short 

 duration. March : — 2nd heavy snow^-fall which had all 

 melted next day, 5th renewed snow-fall followed by sharp 

 frost, 7th-ioth frequent snow showers, loth till end of 

 month weather not severe, 31st thunderstorm followed by 

 severe frost. April : — 5th heavy snow-fall which quickly 

 melted, 5th-9tli frequent snow showers, on morning of 

 loth about 6 inches of snow on ground most of which 

 disappeared before nightfall, during the following night 

 snow again fell, and on morning of nth the snow was 

 II inches deep — the thermometer registering a temperature 

 of 20"" F., by the 14th the snow had disappeared, but for 

 the next few days there w^ere frequent snow showers. 



Naturally the effect in bird-life has not been so pro- 

 nounced as that observed by Mr. Moffat, but, at least in 

 the cases of the Stonechat, Golden-crested Wren and Long- 

 tailed Titmouse, it appears as if there had also been a 

 diminution in numbers in this district which ma}^ be taken 

 as a roughly circular area of about 5 miles in diameter 

 with Hillsborough as centre. One of the most notable 

 observations of the winter here was the scarcity of Field- 

 fares. This bird is usually present in large numbers from 



