October, 1908. The Irish Natmalist, 189 



RAMBLKS ON ACHILI. ISr^AND. 



BY PROFESSOR C J. PATTEN, M.A., M.D., SCD. 



My primary intention in selecting Achill as a holiday 

 resort was to observe the bird-life there however, the island 

 proved so pregnant with other interesting features that it 

 afforded me no small amount of pleasure to record them in 

 my daily journal. 



Most of the bird notes were made in the district of Achill 

 Sound, where, owing to the presence of extensive slob-land, 

 wading-birds are tolerably abundant, but, under the guidance 

 of Mr. A. Williams, I was able to extend my rambles over 

 various parts of the island, and to obtain notes of consider- 

 able interest. 



I took with me a prism-binocular, magnifying ten dia- 

 meters, and a hand-camera with telephoto attachment. It 

 was possible to secure several interesting bird-studies with the 

 camera, but, unfortunately, the plates were rather under- 

 exposed for making successful reproductions. 



My visit extended from September loth to September 26th, 

 1907, during which period a daily journal was kept regularly. 

 As fully twelve months have elapsed, it seems advisable, in 

 order to secure accuracy, not to depend on memory for any 

 part of the narrative, but rather to publish my observations in 

 the form in which the journal was written from notes taken 

 in the field, I made Achill Sound my headquarters, and, 

 when not on the march, had the opportunit}^ of observing and 

 taking photographs from an open window in Mr. Williams' 

 house, overlooking the slob-lands of Breanaskill Bay. This 

 was, indeed, an excellent observatory, for when the tide 

 was high the birds were often only thirty yards off, and 

 were unconcerned at one's presence at the window. 



Tuesday^ September loth. — The morning being very wet, I 

 remained indoors until after luncheon. At 2.30 p.m., Mr. 

 Williams and I started for Breanaskill Bay, which was reached 

 in about half-an-hour. The tide was out, and the slob-land 

 thickly studded with Curlews and Redshanks, while racing up 

 and down the fresh-water stream, which intersected the slob, 

 were two Greenshanks. With the aid of the binocular, the 



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