Clare Island Suruey —Aves. 20 53 



V.— SUMMAKY. 



The avifauna of these islands thus presents the following features : — 



1. Kesident land-birds are of few species, including the Stonechat, Hedge 

 Sparrow, Dipper, Wren, Twite, three Buntings, and the more characteristic 

 Rock Pipit, Chough, Raven, Peregrine, and Rock-Dove, and formerly the 

 Golden Eagle. 



2. Summer land-birds that breed are still fewer : — the Wheatear, White- 

 throat, Sedge- Warbler, Swallow, Cuckoo, Corn-crake. 



3. There are colonies of Shags, cliff-breeding Gulls, Arctic and Little 

 Terns, Auks and Petrels, and many Oyster-catchers nest. 



The more special features are : — 



4. The large immigration of passerine birds that resort to the islands and 

 the Mullet in winter for a milder climate, as do the Thrush family, Finches, 

 Starlings, Rooks, and Skylarks. 



5. The winter visitation of species from northern countries, which 

 resort to the western fringe of Ireland, especially the north-west, e.g., the 

 Snow-Bunting, Greenland Falcon, Wild Swans, and Arctic species of Gulls. 



6. The late stay in spring of the above winter birds and such others as 

 the Scaup Duck, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Northern Diver, and 

 Sclavonian Grebe. 



7. The stay throughout the summer of adolescent winter visitors, as the 

 Turnstone, Bar-tailed Godwit. 



8. The rarity or absence of those occasional visitors that come from the 

 Continent, as the Black Redstart, the rarer Herons and Crakes. 



9. The increase of the: Blackbird and of several woodland species on the 

 mainland and of the Great Black-backed Gull on the islands. 



