i68 



MANX ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES, 1907. 



P. G. RALFE. 



Castletown. 



i6th January — A Kingfisher was taken in Castletown 

 Harbour, and did not long survive its capture. On 20th 

 January, another, according to the ' Ramsey Courier ' was 

 seen in the harbour of that town. The species occurs all over 

 the Island from time to time, but has not been proved to breed 

 here, and many of its appearances seem to point to migration. 



3rd February — I saw a single Goldfinch at Scarlett. 



4th March — A Gannet off Scarlett : unusual at so early a 

 date. 



26th March — Six Wheatears, in company with small parties 

 of Meadow Pipits, doubtless also migrating. 



1st April — About ten House Martins seen at Glenmay by 

 Mr. F. S. Graves and myself, in very fine summer-like weather. 

 One Chiffchaff heard at the same place. 



7th April — One Purple Sandpiper, the last of the season. 



i6th April — A Missel Thrush, sitting on eggs in Scarlett 

 limestone quarry. The situation was singularly exposed, the 

 nest being placed on a plank amid the machinery. The foreman 

 nailed a board up to protect it from view of the passers-by, but 

 later it was robbed, probably by Jackdaws. Last year a nest 

 of this species, perhaps of the same birds', was placed on a crane 

 in this quarry, and nests on ledges of rock are frequent in the 

 district. 



5th May — A few White Wagtails at their usual haunt on the 

 shingle at Sandwick. I continued to see them here until 26th 

 of May, when I left the Island for nearly three weeks. 



i8th, 19th, 20th May— With Mr. F. S. Graves on the Calf of 

 Man. We met with a number of migrant small birds, among 

 them a Whinchat, a few Spotted Flycatchers, Sedge Warblers, 

 and Whitethroats. These birds take advantage of the trees and 

 bushes around the one farm on the islet, and of some slight 

 cover in the little ravine called the Glen. A pair of Magpies 

 has nested in low trees on the Calf. We saw a flock of Tree 

 Sparrows near the farm-house. 



24th May — In Ballaugh Curragh with Mr. T. H. Graves. 

 We heard a Grasshopper W^arbler, and found, as usual, Sedge 

 and Willow Warblers very common. Mr. W. E. Cottier showed 

 us two Curlew's nests in the low meadows near Sulby Glen 



Naturalist, 



