1908. Williams. — Bird Life hi Dublin Bay. 167 



broadened the zone selected b}^ them. Rooks and Herring 

 Gulls search the place for eggs and young birds, and I have 

 often been interested in watching the way in which all the 

 birds join together in buffeting the intruders when they 

 approach too closely to the nests. Over the luxuriant grassy 

 banks which have been swept away the song of the Skylark 

 was frequently heard, and in addition to the many sea-birds 

 visiting the place, I have noticed the Snow Bunting, Corn 

 Bunting, Common Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, House 

 Sparrow, Starling, Rook, Jackdaw, and Greenfinch. 



Whilst the sea has been making such havoc with the coast- 

 line at the south side of the entrance to the Liffey, it is 

 satisfactory to see that there has been a steady increase and 

 addition to the dry land taking place near the extremity of 

 the North Bull opposite to Sutton. In the seventies there 

 existed here a tract of land composed of sand-hills covered 

 thickly with vegetation called the " Green Island," which was 

 separated from the main part of the North Bull at high water 

 by a wide portion of sea. The old Clontarf fishermen used to 

 relate how during a heavy easterly gale a coasting vessel was 

 driven across this submerged part on to the shore of the inner 

 channel near the ruined church at Kilbarrack. For many 

 years there has been a gradual and almost imperceptible 

 accumulation of sand and shingle taking place, and the inter- 

 vening space has been in the course of time completely filled 

 up, so that now one can walk to what used to be the island, 

 over a wide district reclaimed by nature from the sea, carpeted 

 thickly with vegetation, and raised several feet above the 

 reach of the highest tides. Here during the winter mouths 

 immense flocks of sea-fowl, both swimmers and waders, con- 

 gregate and rest during high water on the salt-marshes along 

 the inside channel. 



But leaving the North Bull and its interesting inhabitants 

 and coming quite close up to the city, one of the most remark- 

 able changes that has taken place is the total disappearance 

 of w^hat used to be a very romantic feature in the landscape, 

 the Island of Clontarf, commonh^ known as " Mud Island." 

 Thirty years ago this place was a conspicuous object and of 

 considerable dimensions, measuring about 400 yards long, and 

 about 40 yards wide, and 16 feet in height. It was situated 



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