106 



BIRDS. 



Drummond Hay), but may now be considered a regular summer 

 visitant to north-west Perthshire. " Flocks " in autumn. 



Mr. Milne relates a somewhat curious situation for a nest at 

 Auchenblae. A pair of Spotted Flycatchers insisted upon building 

 on the top of a Chaffinch's nest while the hen Chaffinch was sitting 

 on her eggs. After continuous fighting, the latter gave in so far as 

 to permit of the Flycatchers completing their nest ; and eventually 

 both birds brought off their young ones, the Chaffinch obtaining 

 entrance to its nest by a side opening. 



The Spotted Flycatcher is a common species through the most 

 of the Vale of Strathmore and valley of the lower Tay, but, as 

 indicated, seems to find difficulties in penetrating far up into the 

 smaller valleys, at least as yet — not ascending to nearly as great 

 altitudes in Tay as they do, for instance, in the drier districts of the 

 Moray basin, north of the Grampians. 



The Spotted Flycatcher seemed to be scarce in May and June 

 1905. I met with two only during the whole time I was driving 

 through the district, and both of these were seen near Comrie, in a 

 very sheltered spot. 



These notes — or rather want of notes — by me in May and June 

 1905 are none the less, but rather the more, significant, when later 

 in the same season (August) Mr. W. Evans wrote down his observa- 

 tions as follows : Common, old and young, till about the 23rd August, 

 when they suddenly disappeared." He continues : "I was struck 

 with the abundance of this bird in the (Killin) district. They were 

 met with all around Killin and far up Loch Lochay." In view of 

 these and similar remarks by Mr. Evans regarding other species seen 

 by him in August 1905, it would appear that the nesting season in 

 that year was unusually short and hurried. Indeed, as I have, I think, 

 already indicated, and may do so again, it has been almost com- 

 parable to an Arctic summer ! I think such notes bear considerable 

 (chronological) importance if philosophically considered. 



Muscicapa atricapilla, L. Pied Flycatcher. 



Uncommon. Passing visitant. Is known to have bred both to the 

 north and south of our present area in Scotland. Not truly 

 gregarious. 



By 1874 Col. Drummond Hay had never met with any specimens 

 in Tay or Strathmore, though it has been known to nest both 

 in Inverness-shire and to the south of Forth and Clyde. Little 

 doubt the nesting birds in Inverness-shire reached that locality by 



