Fringillidæ.--Spring: Isle of May, Bell Rock, Sumburgh Head
(considerable movement). Linnets. Earliest at Isle of May, March 4th
(asleep all night on doorway): two green Linnets. Latest at Isle of
May, April 14th (seen). General Notes:--Two days previous "considerable
number of Chaffinches, which are very unusual at this season; also
one Bullfinch." From a remark of Mr. Agnew, that some of the latter
breed on Isle of May, I suspect these "Linnets" will prove to be
Twites or Mountain Linnets, _Linota flavirostris ?_ These Linnets
are also noted at Bell Rock on April 10th, and at Sumburgh Head on
March 7th.--Autumn: Sumburgh Head, Isle of May, and Inch Keith (large
movement). Earliest (Grey Linnets) at Isle of May, Aug. 18th (mostly
young, apparently in broods, in large numbers); latest at Sumburgh
Head, Jan. 14th, 1882 (three seen). Rushes (Chaffinches) at Isle of
May, Sept. 22nd to 26th (see Notes under Turdidæ). Brambling also on
24th (one sent me for identification). Siskin at Inch Keith, Sept.
25th. [General Notes:--A desultory migration, kept up of Linnets and
Siskins (which are rare on the Isle of May), occurred Oct. 4th and
5th. A Redpole on 8th, at Sumburgh Head.] A rush between Oct. 20th
and 27th at Isle of May, during which time Redpoles (20th and 24th),
Chaffinches (22nd), Bramblings (21st), one Siskin (27th), and Grey
Linnets or Twites (24th), at Sumburgh Head; about fifty, along with
ten Larks (see Alaudidæ.). Occasional birds seen at Isle of May:--Nov.
12th, one Siskin; 28th, one hen Linnet; and on Nov. 21st, at Inch
Keith, one Siskin. On Dec. 3rd, at Isle of May, one Redpole, preserved
in spirits (_vide infra_), and one Brambling, same time and place. On
the 4th, Green Linnets at Sumburgh Head, and in Jan., 1882 (latest),
three Green Linnets on 14th. In Shetland prevailing winds during the
winter were from S.W., "and consequently no strange birds visited us."
A flock of Mealy Redpoles arrived at Lerwick, and took up their abode
for a time in Mr. P. T. Garrick's garden, at Prospect House. This
movement doubtless belongs to the Spring Migration of 1882. In August
unusually large flocks of Greenfinches were observed by Mr. Service
near Dumfries; left after two weeks, and reappeared in January, 1882.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account