BIRD NOTES FROM THE ISLE OF MAY IN 191 1 57 



procured a Willow-warbler which proved to be PJiylloscopus 

 trochilus eversmanni. We saw small numbers of Goldcrests 

 from time to time during the month ; all procured were of the 

 British race, except one got at the lantern on the night of 

 29th September which was Regulus regulus regulus. 



We were struck by the extreme scarcity of birds on the 

 May this autumn, even the commonest migrants were only 

 seen in ones and twos. For example, we only saw one 

 Whitethroat, one Redstart, two Whinchats, one Ring Ouzel, 

 two Spotted Flycatchers, very few Bramblings, and two 

 parties of Siskins, the weather conditions being consistently 

 unfavourable to the appearance of birds on passage. All 

 the birds were very wild, and hurried on much more quickly 

 than we have seen them do in former years. Soon after we 

 left the island there was a spell of east wind, and a rush took 

 place which was at its height from the 17th to the 21st 

 October. Thanks to the information sent us by Mr Evans 

 and Mr Baigrie, we are enabled to chronicle the species of 

 which it was composed. A Lapp Bunting was procured on 

 1 2th October and sent to us, and on the 17th there were a 

 few Thrushes and Starlings at the lantern, and a lot of 

 Goldcrests in the gardens. From midnight to daybreak on 

 the 1 8th there was a big rush of Redwings, and a few Black- 

 birds, Starlings, and Skylarks at the lantern, and this rush 

 was renewed next night, there being, however, fewer Red- 

 wings. A Woodchat Shrike was caught at the lantern early 

 on the 19th (see p. 10). Yellow Buntings and some 

 Woodcock are recorded on 18th October. Mr Evans spent 

 some hours of 20th and 21st October on the island, and we 

 are indebted to him for the following notes of the birds seen 

 by him there. A Missel-thrush at the lantern, many Song- 

 thrushes and Redwings all over the island, and in numbers 

 at the lantern from 9 to 1 1 P.M. Many Blackbirds, Goldcrests, 

 Starlings, Skylarks and Woodcock everywhere, and Skylarks 

 at the lantern. A W T heatear, some Redbreasts, a few Hedge- 

 accentors, a Wren, Pipits, twelve to twenty Greenfinches, 

 and about the same number of Linnets, a Siskin, Chaffinches, 

 Bramblings, a Grey Crow, a Long-eared Owl (which is new 

 to the list), and Snipe. Two Goldcrests procured in this 

 3 H 



