TITK RUrriSH ISLES: AVINTER 167 



Ireland, Mr Warren noted that the snow and low 

 temperature drove Rooks, Magpies, Blackbirds, 

 Thrushes, Fieldfares, Redwings, Skylarks, Meadow- 

 Pipits, Starlings, Hedge - Accentors, Redbreasts, 

 Stonechats, Chaffinches, and Yellow Buntings to the 

 shore to search for food amongst the stones and 

 seaweeds. 



In the terrible December of 1882, and the winters 

 of 1890-91 and 1894-95, vast numbers of refugees 

 perished in such usually sure retreats as the Scilly Isles 

 and Valentia, among others Snow- Buntings, the hardiest 

 of all the small birds. Reo'ardino- the effects of the 

 great frost of 1895, the lighthouse keeper at Samphire 

 Island, off the west coast of Kerry, observes^ that on 

 7th February vast numbers of Starlings, Skylarks, 

 Thrushes, and Redwings were going south all day in 

 heavy snow, and that "the island was literally covered 

 with them as they rested upon it, and at times they 

 would darken the sky." Next day they were still going 

 south in "one continuous flight; they were all very 

 exhausted, and numbers of Starlings fell. I never saw 

 such a constant rush of birds." On the 9th, great 

 numbers were again noted resting; on the nth and 

 1 2th, numbers dead ; on the 13th, he tells us : "I never 

 saw such a rush of birds as there has been for the past 

 week . . . they were composed of Lapwings, Golden 

 Plover, Starlings, Redwings, Thrushes, Skylarks, Rooks, 

 and Fieldfares, and some Grey Linnets. ... It is pitiful 

 to see the hundreds of birds dead and dying all about 

 the island, particularly Starlings ; the sea is covered with 

 them and Gulls feeding on them, although vast numbers 

 of Gulls have died." 



' Report on the Migration of Birds on the Irish Coast in 1895, P- 477- 



