THE BIRDS OF RENFREWSHIRE 249 



ARDEID/E. 



The only heronry at all worthy of the name remaining in 

 Renfrewshire is at Ardgowan, where about eight pairs of the 

 ^Common Heron nest annually. In various other localities a 

 nest or two may be found in some seasons, and the bird itself is 

 not uncommon, either singly, or in small parties up to fourteen 

 birds. Another member of the family, the so-called Coimimon 

 Bittern, has visited us at long intervals. One, which was in the 

 small collection formerly in Castle-Semple House, was shot about 

 fifty years ago in the Aird meadow, at the head of Castle-Semple 

 Loch ; a second is recorded from Linwood Moss (Paisley MS. 

 List) ; and a third was shot in the county by the father of Mr A. 

 Fulton Craig, but the locality is not now definitely known. 



PlIfENICOPTERID.-E. 



[A Flamingo, which frequented both the Dumbartonshire and 

 Renfrewshire shores of the estuary during September and October 

 1910, was slain near Port-Glasgow, and its remains now repose in 

 the M'Lean Museum, Greenock. It may or it may not have been 

 an "escape."] 



Anatid.e. 



Flocks of " Grey " Geese are frequently observed flying overhead, 

 and, at times, on inland sheets of water. The largest flock we know 

 of, estimated at "several hundreds," passed over Uplawmoor on 

 4th November 1908. When this flock flew over, the gabbling of 

 the birds was so great that the whole village turned out to see what 

 was "up." But when we come to specific identity our information 

 is very meagre. Gray wrote, " The Gray-lag, Bean-, Pink-footed, 

 and White-fronted Geese have all occurred on the Clyde at rare 

 intervals." One or two Pink-footed and a White-fronted, killed 

 on the estuary in the winter of 1867-8, are recorded by him, and 

 the latter species occurred twice at Castle-Semple in Mr M'Arthur's 

 time.^ An example of the Bean -goose was shot on Eaglesham 

 Estate in February 1907, and thirteen passed over Balgray Reservoir 

 on 13th October 191 2. The Bernacle Goose was formerly a 

 winter visitor in large flocks to the grass-banks of the Clyde Estuary, 



1 Mr M'Arlhur was gamekeeper on Castle-Scniplc Ebtate for the long period 

 of thirty-eight years prior to 1910. Fortunately he kept a list of everything shot 

 during that time. 



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