BIRD NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF MAY IN 191 1 53 



BIRD NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF MAY IN 191 1 



By Evelyn V. Baxter, H.M.B.O.U., and Leonora Jeffrey 

 Rintoul, H.M.B.O.U. 



By the kind permission of the Commissioners of Northern 

 Lights we were able to spend a month in spring and another 

 in autumn on the Isle of May in 191 1. We arrived on 27th 

 April, and found that a Wheatear, three Redstarts, all adult 

 males, four Willow-warblers, and a Brambling had been 

 killed at the lantern early on the 25th. After examining 

 these specimens we proceeded to make a round of the island 

 in search of migratory birds, and found a Fieldfare, a good 

 many Wheatears, a Greater Wheatear, two Willow-warblers, 

 several Wrens, a Skylark, a Carrion Crow, and a Snipe. 

 Next day a Goldcrest, a White Wagtail, and more Crows 

 were to be seen, while a Lesser Black-backed Gull had 

 arrived, and this species was present pretty constantly up to 

 26th May. Redshanks did not breed on the island ; a few 

 stayed till the end of April, and we saw two on 24th May. 

 On 29th April two Bramblings came in and a Wood-pigeon 

 appeared ; one or two of these last were seen nearly every 

 day till 26th May. On the night of 30th April a Redbreast 

 of the continental race was taken at the lantern ; this was the 

 only Redbreast seen during our spring visit. A Twite (an 

 addition to the island list) and a Swallow were seen on 1st 

 May, and that night there were a good many birds at the 

 lantern from 10 to 12 P.M. (S.W. fresh, rain); those identified 

 were Fieldfares, both races of Wheatears in numbers, Red- 

 starts, Willow-warblers, Golden Plover, Lapwings, Oyster- 

 catchers, and Dunlin. After 3.30 P.M. on 2nd May there 

 was an arrival of Whinchats, all males, Tree-pipits and 

 Skylarks, and the last Brambling was seen. The next two 

 days brought nothing of note, but on the 5th the first 

 Common Sandpiper arrived, and the passage of this species 

 lasted till the 16th. Small numbers of Swallows were 

 passing all morning on 6th May, and from midnight to 

 4 A.M. on the 7th there was a renewed arrival of Wheatears, 



