142 Bird Life and Sport on Achill Island. 



Bird Life and Sport on Achill Island. 



By Frank Dawson-Smith. 



Birds did not prcnidc the only si)ort and means of fur- 

 nishing our lai'der, as we bagged a couple of hares, too. \\'e 

 relied on our guns for replenishing the larder, you see. We 

 gathered the day's spoil together and commenced to wend (jur 

 way homeward. In climbmg over the mountain ridge which 

 separated us from Dugort, we disturbed a few grouse, but 

 these were, of course, permitted to depart unharmed, as their 

 particular season was over. Their curious cry " Go back, 

 go back " reached us as they disappeared in the failing light. 

 Another game bird that inhabits Achill is the Woodcock. This 

 handsome bird is usually found on the mountain sides, and 

 generally in a tuft of heather, sheltered from the wind. On 

 being* disturbed it darts out and away like an arrow. We 

 found a good number of 'coc'k on the steep sides of Slieve- 

 more and they proved easier targets than the snipe. While 

 I, am talking of Slievemore I may add that if one wishes to 

 experience the full force of a storm let him climb to the top 

 of this mountain on a rougdi day as I did. Michael and I 

 were here through the height of a ,stOirm and I am not likely 

 to forget it in a hurry. The raging wind came sweeping 

 across the Atlantic, and the blinding stinging sleet came with 

 such resistless violence, that it was impossible to stand against 

 it. We crouched behind a friendly ledge of rock and clung 

 like limpets until the fury of the hurricane had passed. A 

 storm on this ooasit is a magnificent spectacle. fhere comes 

 to one the mad exhilaration of encountering a mighty power 

 titanic and inconquerable. But it was an exhausting experi- 

 ence I ' 



Then we spent a day at Inishbiggle Island which is 

 separated from Achill by a channel about sixty yards wide. 

 Here we were joined by Michael one fine morning. This 

 end of Achill is called Bull's Mouth, and close at hand is a 

 small rush-grown pool, which is invariably full of snipe. If 

 you, toss a stone in it is no exaggeration to say that a flock 

 of Snipe will rise. We secured several of these birds, but we 

 had a surprise here, too. Disturbed by the reports of our 



