Paridæ.—Spring: Tit. One record at Isle of May, April 23rd. General Remark:—One alighted on lantern at 11 p.m.—Autumn: Tits at Pentland Skerries and Inch Keith. Earliest at Inch Keith, Aug. 5th (a number at night); latest at Pentland Skerries, Oct. 6th (one all day). Another struck N.W. side of lantern of Inch Keith on night of 5th to 6th. General Remarks:—Aug. 5th, at Inch Keith (as above), "earlier than usual."
Troglodytidæ.—Spring: Common Wren. One record from Isle of May, March 19th.—Autumn: Sumburgh Head, Pentland Skerries, and Isle of May. Earliest at Sumburgh Head, Aug. 3rd (left); latest at Pentland Skerries, Nov. 16th. Others Oct. 6th and 8th. Rush (inappreciable) on these later dates.
Motacillidæ.—Spring: Bell Rock and Isle of May (only two). Wagtails. Earliest at Isle of May, March 12th; latest at Bell Rock, April 13th. General Remarks:—The latter "running over the rocks, but leaving at high tide, as all birds do that land upon these rocks" (J. Agnew).—Autumn: Pentland Skerries and Isle of May (three records). Wagtails. Earliest at Pentland Skerries (three all day), when a gale from N., Aug. 27th; latest at Isle of May, Sept. 24th, "when a few new-comers, having more white upon them than the few residents, appeared." Also occurred at Pentland Skerries, Sept. 10th. Pipits at Whalsey Skerries, Pentland Skerries, and Isle of May (few records). Earliest at Whalsey Skerries, Aug. 28th (following Sparrowhawk), but all left next day; latest at Pentland Skerries, Oct. 25th (six struck at night). Rush (on small scale) at Isle of May, Sept. 24th, 25th, and 26th. General Notes:—Mr. Agnew speaks of some being always here, but additions on Sept. 24th. Possibly Mr. Agnew alludes, however, to Rock Pipits as the residents. The Meadow Pipit is probably the species first seen as additions on Sept. 24th. N.B. The Rock Pipit is a larger bird than the Meadow Pipit; please shoot one of the "resident birds" and then one of the "additions," and if carefully compared, I think Mr. Agnew will detect the difference.
Hirundinidæ.—Spring: Cromarty, Auskerry, Sumburgh Head, and Whalsey Skerries. First arrivals at Auskerry, May 1st (Martins and Swallows remained three days and then left); latest, at Whalsey Skerries, June 27th (a few flying about). Rush hardly perceptible. General Notes:—At Sumburgh Head four pairs all summer; all disappeared on night of July 20th. That night one pair slept on the staircase-window.—Autumn: Whalsey Skerries, Sumburgh Head, Auskerry, Pentland Skerries, Cromarty, and Isle of May (a number). Earliest (see remarks under Spring Migration, supra, July 20th); latest at Sumburgh Head, Oct. 1st (one seen). No great rush appreciable, but flocks of Swallows and Martins seen at Auskerry Aug. 1st and 4th, and on 1st at Isle of May (one found dead previous night after heavy gales); (see Notes under [Turdidæ], supra) part of a general rush of migrants.
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.
Emberizidæ.—Spring: Isle of May and Bell Rock. Earliest at Bell Rock, March 17th (one "Snowflake" flying from N.W. to S.E.); latest (and only other spring record) at Isle of May, April 9th (three "Mountain Sparrows" identified as Snow Buntings).—Autumn: Whalsey Skerries, Sumburgh Head, Pentland Skerries, Dunnet Head, Tarbat Ness, Isle of May, and Inch Keith, Snow Buntings, numerous records, and reported as unusually plentiful at many stations. Earliest at Isle of May, Sept. 24th, where, Mr. Agnew writes, "they are never plentiful"; latest, Dec. 10th to Jan. 28th, at Isle of May. Rushes at Whalsey Skerries, Sumburgh Head, Pentland Skerries, and Dunnet Head, Sept. 20th to 25th (note migration of other species at Isle of May, Sept. 22nd—see notes under [Turdidæ]). Rushes spasmodical, at different places, on different dates. Rush Dec. 3rd to 21st; after, stragglers (i.e., flocks of forty or fifty).—Weather: In October winds S. and N.W., at Sumburgh Head, to fresh E. and N., cloudy, clear, or showery. In November S. gale on 4th at Pentland Skerries. Calm or N. on 9th, S.S.W. or S. on 14th, and on 17th S. or N. December variable from light S.W. at Isle of May to fresh N.E. and S.E., light W. and light S.W. Besides Snow Buntings, a flock of about 250 Common Buntings are reported from Sumburgh Head on Nov. 6th ("a compact flock"), at 10 a.m.
Alaudidæ.—Spring: A spring rush is reported at Bell Rock between Feb. 5th and 25th; or possibly this may only belong to migration of 1880. Great numbers of Larks mixed with Rose Linnets, Starlings, and other species, from 2 to 5 a.m.; great numbers struck; wind on arrival light S.W., on departure fresh N.E., fog and rain. Feb. 18th, great numbers, all Larks, greatly exhausted, seen asleep, and others struck, but none found dead; wind light E.S.E., haze. On 19th, "small birds, not recognised, flew about for an hour, and left at dawn"; and on 25th great numbers, all Larks, much exhausted, at 1.30 a.m.; left after an hour's rest at dawn, flying N.W.—Autumn: Sumburgh Head, Pentland Skerries, Bell Rock, and Isle of May (numerous). Earliest at Sumburgh Head, Sept. 15th (breeds here, but left to-day); latest at Isle of May, Dec. 1st (two seen). Rushes at Isle of May, Sept. 24th; numbers on 25th and 26th, increased up to 27th; also at Pentland Skerries (accompanying Wheatears); also fewer on Sept. 15th, 16th, and 18th. Rush at Pentland Skerries, striking all night, Oct. 26th; stragglers on 1st and 8th.—Weather: Fresh S. wind Sept. 1st to 8th, to fresh S.E. and clear on 26th. Nov. 24th, at Sumburgh Head (along with Grey Linnets), fresh S., cloudy; and Dec. 1st, at Isle of May, two seen, as above recorded.
Sturninæ.—Autumn: Auskerry, Pentland Skerries, Dunnet Head, and Isle of May. Unusually few, but all about same time. Earliest at Pentland Skerries and Isle of May, Oct. 20th and 21st; latest at Dunnet Head, Jan. 15th, 1882 (date of return of schedule). General Notes:—Resident all winter at many localities as at Auskerry ("all winter"). The scarcity of the Starling on migration this autumn is noteworthy (vide conditions of wind and weather as compared with other years).
Corvidæ.—Spring: Bell Rock and Isle of May. Earliest at Bell Rock, March 10th (seen on balcony-rail); latest, "five Rooks," at Bell Rock, flying about. May 1st. Rush (apparently, April 12th and 13th) at Bell Rock (Black Crows and a good many "Grey Crows" with them). On 16th, three Rooks flying N.—Autumn: Sumburgh Head, Pentland Skerries, and Isle of May. Earliest July 15th, at Pentland Skerries (mixed with Jackdaws); remained till middle of August, and then disappeared; latest Nov. 10th, two Ravens at Pentland Skerries, flying W., but no Rooks after Aug. 15th. Ravens also at Pentland Skerries, July 29th. Hooded Crows. Earliest Sept. 14th, at Pentland Skerries; latest on Nov. 5th, at Pentland Skerries. Rush on Oct. 2nd, at Isle of May (large numbers).
Cypselidæ.—Autumn: Only records at Sumburgh Head. Earliest Sept. 13th, five seen at 6 p.m., light N.W. airs, clear; next record Sept. 16th, one seen, light W., clear; latest Sept. 27th, one, light S.W., haze.