Chiffchaff IncreaseAuthor(s): Frank KingSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 13, No. 8 (Oct., 1960), pp. 188-189Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25534741 .

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188

The site is close to the inland limit of the sandhills and the formation of the ground provides wind shelter from all directions except the SW. The extremely sandy soil, whilst appearing fairly stable, has a sparse plant cover and conditions for seedling growth are fairly good. The absence, at the present time, of rabbits has allowed the development of the seedlings, and it will be interesting to see if the colony will extend.

9 Slievemoyne Park, Newcastle, Co. Down. 9.9.60. P. W. WOOD.

SPARTINA TOWNSENDII H. & J. GROVES IN COUNTIES LOUTH AND DOWN

This is the grass which is usually planted on tidal mud-flats as a mud binder, sometimes with poor results. In Ireland it was first planted in 1925 in the estuary of the Lee near Cork, and a few years later at Belfast Lough (where it died out), estuary of the Shannon, Clew Bay, and at North Bull, Dublin.

Colonies have been observed at Porfrnarnoek, Malahide and Rogerstown. Co.

Dublin, but it is not known if they were planted. In 1957 Mr R. C. Davidson showed me it in plenty at Blackrock, Dundalk Bay, Co. Louth. In the same

year I found many clumps at Ringneill, Strangford Lough, Co. Down (see page 120). The two latter new stations do not appear to be plantings, and I imagine the grass may be spreading northward by natural means.

24 Camden Street, Belfast, 9. E. N. CARROTHERS.

PLANTS ON THE SKERRIES, CO. ANTRIM

The Skerries, a line of small islets 1J miles off Portrush, are part of the same sill of basalt on which the town is built. In stormy weather the North

Atlantic drenches them. Vegetation is almost confined to the largest which covers about 12 acres and shelves from cliffs of about 50 feet to sea-level in the direction of the mainland.

On 1st June, 1957, I was privileged to join a large party of the Route Naturalists' Field Club who went to see the bird-life. During the visit I saw the following plants:?

Cochlearia officinalis L. Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd. Sinapis arvensis L. Galeopsis tetrahit L. Lychnis dioica L. Chenopodium album L. Stellaria media (L.) Vill. Plantago coronopuS L.

Spergula arvensis L. Polygonum aviculare L.

Potentilla anserina L. Rumex crispus L. Galium aparine L. Holcus lanatus L. Aster tripolium L. Phragmite$ communis Trin. Chrysanthemum segetum L. Poa annua L.

Matricaria maritima L. Festuca ovina L. Sonchus arvensis L. Lolium perenne L.

24 Camden Street, Belfast 9. E. N. CARROTHERS.

ZOOLOGICAL NOTES

CHIFFCHAFF INCREASE

There has been a marked increase in the number of Chiffchaffs, Phylloscopus collybita, breeding; in NW Kerry over the past few years. Evidence of this is readily available in the vastly increased amount of song heard from territory-holding males in areas where formerly chiffchaffs were scarce or local.

There can be little doubt that such spread is pioneered by young, unmated males, followed in a year or two by the females. In a number of cases I have succeeded in establishing that the only chiff chaff-occupant of a given territory was the singing male. That this probably applies, in most cases, is indicated t>y the intensity and duration of song-period of many of these males at the period

when mated males, with young in the nest, permit themselves just the occasional snatch of song.

The case-history of one particular territory may serve to illustrate the

general trend. This territory is an orchard at Blennerville through which chiffchaffs had passed for years on their spring migration. Coinciding with the first increase, a male chiffchaff adopted the orchard as his territory in the spring of 1957. He failed to find a mate in that year and again in the following two years. In April, 1960, what appeared to be the same bird?or at any rate, one that used the identical song-posts?appeared in the orchard. Within a week he

had attracted a mate and nest-building commenced in a gooseberry bush, just a few inches from the ground. As soon as brooding commenced the male's song periods became noticeably more restricted?presumably due to his having achieved his aim of attracting a mate and to the lack of a singing rival within earshot. However, about a week later, song was resumed at full volume and intensity.

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189

Investigation showed that the female had disappeared and the eggs were ice cold in the nest. No surer indication of the change of status of the chiffchaff in the area could be found than that he was able to attract a second mate

within six days of the disappearance of the first. An interesting poirit in the latter connection was the fact that the original nest was used by the new female, the first eggs being carefully covered over with nesting material and her own clutch being laid on this. This time all went well and, when the young had left the nest, it was found that the eggs

" downstairs

" were still intact. The Orchards, Blenneryille, Co. Kerry. FRANK KING.

BARN-OWL ATTACKING HARE

I witnessed the above on 30th July, 1960, at approximately 10.30 p.m., in the field adoining the garden of the North Lodge, Castleward, Strangford,

Co. Down. Having been in the vicinity for some time, my attention was directed to an area of the field by high-pitched bleating cries and sonorous hisses, which quite suddenly disturbed the silence of the evening. I ran over towards the sound and when within about ten yards saw a barn-owl fly up from near ground level to several feet into the air and drop again to a fracas of bleating cries and hoarse hissing. The beam of my torch illumined a fight between a hare and a barn-owl; the former was erect, frequently jumping up from a haunch position and crying vociferously, trying to

" box off" the owl who, hissing, was

violently attacking the hare's head. The owl made two attacks on the hare before rising and disappearing into the dusk. The hare remained in the same place for nearly a minute, sitting upright, before nibbling a little grass and then running across the field.

This field was a regular haunt of three hares which I had frequently seen in daylight and watched closely through binoculars, and they appeared to be in active good health. R. Bosworth Smith, in Bird Life and Bird Lore,

London, 1905, p. 48, recounts an incident, originally described by Lord Peel, oi four short-eared owls attacking a hare, but this had been in daylight and the hare apparently wounded previously by shot.

Stranmillis Training College, Belfast, 9. STANLEY SKILLEN.

TURTLE DOVE. STREPTOPELIA TURTUR (L.), IN CO. ANTRIM AND CO. KILDARE

Sir,?An adult turtle dove stayed on my farm at Ballystridder, Island magee, Co. Antrim, from 27th May until June, 1960. The last one I reported was at Knocknagulliagh, Whitehead, about three miles away, on 11th July, 1941.

The farm is low and flat with high thorn hedges and an occasional young beech tree where the bird roosted at night and into which it flew when flushed. It waited until the last minute before flying off and could be stalked to within ten feet.

It fed on the seeds of short grasses which it stripped off the stalks in the bare parts of the field.

The black tail with white band at the tip makes the bird very easy to identify in flight.

My son states that on 14th June two other turtle doves joined the one on my farm and the three then flew off and I have not seen any since then.

On 5th June, 1960, I noticed another turtle dove feeding on the road side about one mile on the Naas side of Maynooth.?Yours, etc.,

The Promenade, Whitehead, Co. Antrim. J. M. DUNDEE.

THE LEATHERY TURTLE, OR LUTH, DERMOCHELYS CORIACEA (L.), IN CO. CORK

I wish to report the landing at Kinsale Harbour, County Cork, of a Luth, Dermochelys coriacea. This was caught by a Norwegian fishing-boat five to seven miles south-west of the Old Head of Kinsale. They were using a

shark line with herring bait hook. The animal was apparently killed immediately it was brought on board.

The size: head to tail-tip, 6 ft. 7 in.; widest part of body, 2 ft. lOin.; length of fore limb, 3 ft. 2 in.; weight on being landed, 455 lb. The animal was

deposited inside a cold storage shed. See p. 13 for previous record. "

Andreas," Rosebank Park, Douglas Road, Cork. LESLIE S. ATKINS.

EUPROCTIS SI MI LIS FUESSLY (YELLOW-TAIL MOTH) IN IRELAND (LEP. LYMANTRIIDAE)

The first reported capture of the yellow-tail moth in Ireland was at Dollymount, Co. Dublin, in 1934, and a second example was obtained at Seapoint, Co. Dublin, in 1958 (LN.J. XII, 10, 254). Both localities face Dublin Bay, and it Was thought likely that the moths were chance vagrants that might even have

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