Clare Island Survey — Aves. 20 27 



(Barrington). Gannets do not breed ' on the stags of Broadhaven, nor 

 anywhere in Ulster or Connaught, their only Irish colonies being on the 

 Little Skellig and the Bull Rock. 

 Ardea cinerea, Linn. Common Heron. — Straggling Herons frequently visit 

 Clare Island after their breeding season, and seek food in the marshy 

 spots. Hammond saw one chased by over fifty Gulls. Some breed in 

 Glendarary wood, Achill, and there are heronries in trees at Newport 

 House. Westport demesne, and Old Head House, all on Clew Bay. On 

 the island in Lough Tavvnyard, a mountain-lake, many Herons nest in 

 the centre of the colony of Cormorants, and there is another colony of 

 Herons and Cormorants on Lough Carrowmore, both in Mayo. Herons 

 used to breed on cliffs on the coast of the Mullet (Moran) and the Dingle 

 peninsula (Kane), and a pair were found nesting on Inishtooskert, 

 Blasket Islands. 1 In western Donegal and Connemara Herons build on 

 numerous islands in moorland lakes on any low trees or hollies ; and 

 Ussher has seen a nest on the ground on a stone crannog-island in 

 Donegal. 

 Botaurus stellaris (Linn.). Bittern. — A specimen was shot at Killybegs by 

 Arthur Brooke about 1868. One is mentioned at Ballycroy, 2 and others 

 in 1900 on the Mullet. 3 On 7th August, 1893, a Bittern was caught 

 at Slyne Head among rocks and sent in the flesh to Barrington. 

 Platalea leucorodia, Linn. Spoonbill. — One was shot near Westport in 1854* 

 Spoonbills have been obtained in most of the maritime counties of 

 Ireland, including Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Clare, and several times in 

 Kerry, being more frequent in the south, but rare in the west and in 

 Ulster. 

 Anser cinereus, Meyer. Grey Lag-Goose. — Winter visitor to the mountains 

 and bogs around Westport and in Achill and the Mullet according to 

 Good, the Sheridans, and Wallace. Ussher has received from the latter 

 wings of this species on an occasion when thirty-five were met with. 

 Sheridan remarks that these birds remain until April, and Wallace speaks 

 of them in May. 

 Anser albifrons, Scopoli. White-fronted Goose. — All the light-keepers' 

 reports speak of flocks of " Wild Geese and Bernacle " which frequent the 

 western parts of Clare Island from October to April, especially the 

 western end, where they feed. Barrington saw seven on the island in 

 the end of March which he considered were White-fronted Geese. This, 



Turle iu " Ibis," 1890, p. 7. • Thompson, ii., p. 163. 



1 " Field," 26th November, 1904. 4 Proc. Dublin Nr -H. Soc, 1st February, 1.861. 



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