^58 The Irish Naturalist, [Oct., 



THE SKUAS OF KII,I,AI,A BAY. 



BY ROBERT WARRKN. 



Oni,y three species of the skua family have as yet been 

 known as visitors to this bay and estuary — the Pomatorhine, 

 Richardson's, and the lyongtailed or Buffon's Skua. 



The PoMATORHiNK Skua {Lestris ponmtorhimis^ up to the date 

 of Wm. Thompson's "Birds of Ireland," was very little known 

 as an Irish visitor, only nine specimens being recorded by 

 him, of which two were obtained in Belfast Bay ; one in the 

 autumn of 1834, ^^^ ^^^ second on the i6th of October, 1848, 

 both immature birds. 



My first acquaintance with this skua began in 1862, when 

 large numbers visited the bay on their way to the south. For 

 several days previous to the 22nd of October the weather had 

 been very stormy, the wind blowing in wild squalls from the 

 south-west, accompanied by heavy showers of rain. On that 

 morning I was standing at the parlour window of Moyview, 

 looking down the estuary towards Bartragh, when suddenly a 

 flock of ten or twelve dark-coloured birds appeared in view, 

 flying slowly up the river from the sea. I immediately took 

 my gun and ran down to the shore, but only reached it in 

 time to see the skuas pass out of shot. My disappointment, 

 however, did not last long, for a few moments after a flock of 

 five birds passed, out of which I was so fortunate as to secure 

 a fine specimen of the Pomatorhine Skua in almost perfect 

 adult plumage. Several other flocks passed on afterwards, 

 and I was able to obtain a second bird in a similar stage of 

 plumage. But soon after I had shot the last bird I was called 

 away to attend to some business matters, which delayed me 

 for some time, and when I returned to the shore found that 

 the flight of skuas had ceased for that day. 



On the morning of the 23rd the gale still continued, but had 

 changed round to the west- north-west, and consequently the 

 skuas in their flight up the river kept close to the eastern (or 

 Mayo) side, and none came within shot of the Sligo side, upon 

 which Moyview is situated. On both days the skuas after 

 keeping along the tidal course of the river for about two miles 

 directed their flight across the country to the south-west. 



