Scope and Contents

Note about the bird 'Balaire-bothan' [white-breasted cormorant] probably collected from Donald Currie, crofter, Ìle/Islay, which reads 'Balaire-bothan larger than sgart [scart] - white spot on thigh'. Also includes a fragment of a song beginning 'Deoch do dh iarr balair bothair'.

Scope and Contents

Note about the bird 'Brid' [oyster-catcher] which states that if a gale comes from the north then the bird leaves the north shore and goes to the south shore and the reverse is also true.Text has been scored through in pencil perhaps to indicate it has been transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

Note probably collected from Donald Currie, crofter, Ìle/Islay about the bird 'Bru deargan' [Bru-dearg or robin redbreast] that it is not seen on the island until the end of the autumn and that his daughter found one in a hedge the previous year [1876]. He notes his call as being 'Hing "hingadale", Drig drig "hingadale"'. Text has been scored through as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

Note about the bird 'cathag' [chough] that it has 'gob dearg + da chas dearg' [a red beak and two red legs] and that there are few about the shores [on Ìle/ Islay]. Also noted is that it has a '"Meag" voice'.

Scope and Contents

Note probably collected from Donald Currie, crofter, Ìle/Islay about the bird 'Clacharan-coille' [stone-chat] that it is 'dark + moves close to the ground' and also describes eggs and nests.

Scope and Contents Note about the bird 'drollan' [petrel] and its connection with fishermen, containing a legend that the bird flew so high it caught the tail-feather of an eagle and boasted about it; that the sound they make is as loud as a bee hive and stating that a flock of petrels are 'alms' to fishermen. The birds are described as tearing out sticks and straws from their nests and moving them 50 feet up, carrying the young and the eggs. Fishermen noticed that four days after a storm the birds were still...

Scope and Contents

Note about the bird 'Fara-chrodaichean' or 'Crotach-Bheag' [curlew], that it arrives about Bealtainn [May], stays for a month and does not breed on the island but goes to warmer climates. The crotach mor breed in the moor in Instra Níl [Ìle/ Islay, Earra Ghàidheal/Argyllshire]. Text has been scored through in pencil perhaps to indicate it has been transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

Note probably collected from Donald Currie, crofter, Ìle/Islay about the bird 'Fulta-flier' [fieldfare] stating that it 'came here 10 or 12 years ago [1865-1867] breast fair + yellow back dark dun Irish Sea full of them at night'.

Scope and Contents

Note about the bird 'glaisean' [moss [chirper]] describing its nesting habits including that it has been found 'in P[ort] na haven in turf dyk[e]s asleep in winter with two or three ribeagan fiar geal na bheul [blades of grass] across to keep his bill open to breath[e] like polar bear with his paw in his mouth'. [Port na h-Abhainne/Portnahaven, Ìle/ Islay]. Text has been scored through in pencil perhaps to indicate it has been transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

Note about the bird 'Glaistean-tragha' [a small bird like a finch] that it is a shore bird which only eats food from the sea or the shore and does not feed from the land. Text has been scored through in pencil perhaps to indicate it has been transcribed elsewhere.