BIRD NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF MAY ii 



is for 3rd September, when three birds of the year were killed 

 against the lantern. During my stay I saw Goldcrests on 

 eighteen different days; in numbers on 27th September and 

 7th and 8th October, and on other occasions in small quantities. 

 They wxre very confiding, letting me stand within a yard of them 

 as they flitted from one bit of hemlock to another, or crept 

 about on the face of the cliffs. They were often taken at the 

 lantern, and on several occasions came into the houses of the 

 lightkeepers. After I left Goldcrests w-ere numerous on 

 17th October, and there were a few at the light from 7.30 p.m. 

 on 23rd October till daybreak. 



Yellow-browed Warbler, P. superciliosus. — I saw this most 

 attractive little Warbler on four occasions. I was standing in 

 the lighthouse garden just as it was getting dusk on the evening 

 of 22nd September, when a Yellow-browed Warbler flew over 

 my head and settled on a patch of bare earth ; though it was 

 difficult to see it, I managed to secure it. The next appeared 

 on the afternoon of 24th September in the hemlock tangle, and 

 the third arrived next day in the lighthouse garden. The last 

 was found lying dead under a rock not far from the lighthouse 

 on 3rd October. The three procured were all males. 



Chiff-chaff, P. collybita. — I procured one specimen of this bird 

 in Mr. Ross's garden on 5th October, and another was sent 

 me which had killed itself on the lantern on the night of 23rd 

 October, when a few are reported as having come to the light. 



Willow Warbler, P. trochilus. — The first record of this bird is on 

 30th April, when two came to the lantern, and next day they 

 were numerous on the island. They were again numerous at 

 the light from midnight to 4 a.m. on 3rd May. They were 

 swarming on the lantern from 1 1 p.m. on 4th May till day- 

 light on the 5th, and next night they were again present in 

 numbers. The return migration is first noted on 17th 

 August, when three came to the lantern ; two put in an appear- 

 ance at the light on the night of 20th August, and on the 

 night of 3rd September, at 9 p.m., a bird of the year struck. 

 On my arrival on loth September, I saw two in the hemlock 

 tangle, and next day one in the garden. Others were seen on 

 the 19th, 2 1 St, and from the 22nd to 26th. 



Sedge Warbler, A. schoenobcBJius. — On 20th August one came to 

 the lantern about midnight, and a bird of the year w^as killed 

 on 3rd September. On arriving I found two in the hemlock 

 tangle. I observed no more during the day, but one was got 

 at the lantern on the night of 25th September, and two more 

 next night ; these birds were adults. 



