Part 7

Sterninæ.--At Heligoland, July, Caspian Tern, _Sterna Caspia_, frequently seen. At Farne Inner L.H., Aug. 28th, both the Sandwich and Arctic Terns left the islands. At the Longstone L.H., on the extreme outer reef of the Farnes, the Sandwich Tern was seen last on Sept. 8th, and the Arctic Sept. 14th. At Coquet Island L.H., Aug. 14th, N.N.E., great number of Terns all day about island. At Teesmouth 5 Buoy L.V., Aug. 16th, great numbers this day; 29th, same.

Larinæ.--At Heligoland, the Siberian Herring Gull, _Larus affinis_, was seen off the rock on June 5th, N.W., strong. Little Gull, _Larus minutus_, Sept. 5th, enormous numbers on the water. Ivory Gull, _Larus eburnea_, Nov. 4th, westerly, seen on water. At Farne Inner L.H., Sept. 10th, the Gulls left islands. At Whitby L.H., Sept. 2nd, Gulls had all left, both young and old. At Filey, Ivory Gull, _Larus eburnea_, a fully mature example, a male, was shot in September; a young bird in the spotted plumage was also obtained in the same month. At Flamborough, Sept. 5th to 6th, Lesser Black-backed Gulls to south all day; wind S.W. by W.; equal proportion of young and old. At Spurn L.V., July 29th and 30th, "Smelt Gulls" all day; Sept. 28th, large numbers of Gulls continuous to south. At Lynn Well L.V., Aug. 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, great quantities all day from S.E. At Yarmouth, Mr. J. H. Gurney, writing Jan. 26th, 1881, says, "A correspondent at Yarmouth had recently twenty-seven Glaucous Gulls in the flesh, seven of which were mature." At Hasboro' L.H., Dec. 18th, 8 p.m., "Little Gull" struck and broke its neck. At Cockle L.V., Oct. 16th, Gulls during day; 27th, same. At Shipwash L.V., Nov. 29th, 10 a.m., large numbers to W. At South-sand Head L.V., July 29th, an unusual number seen.

Stercorariinæ.--At Teesmouth 5 Buoy L.V., Aug. 29th, two Skuas passed. At Redcar, Sept. 16th, twenty Richardson's Skuas passed; Oct. 28th, Mr. T. H. Nelson, writing in the 'Field' newspaper for Nov. 6th, 1880, states that, during the night of the storm on Oct. 28th, he saw considerable numbers of the Pomatorhine Skua, amounting to several hundreds, flying close to the esplanade at Redcar, and struggling to make headway against the gale; they consisted almost entirely of mature birds of the white-breasted variety, only three or four being dark birds, but whether immature or adult he could not ascertain. At Spurn L.V., Aug. 1st to Sept. 24th, a few Skuas passed going S.; Oct. 1st to 16th, many passed same direction. At South-sand Head L.V., July 29th, an unusual number of Skuas seen.

Procellariidæ.--At Coquet L.H., July 22nd, 11 p.m., misty, one Petrel caught against glass of lantern, examined and set at liberty. At Redcar, Oct. 28th, two Stormy and one Fulmar Petrels picked up during great gale. At Flamborough, first week in October, Stormy Petrel. At Spurn, Oct. 28th, Stormy Petrels after great gale. At Galloper L.V., Nov. 6th, 2 to 4 p.m., twelve Stormy Petrels about ship. At Gull L.V., Oct. 9th, 2 a.m., N., several struck glass, none killed.

Independent of these very numerous notes on known species, the schedules contain many notices of birds the species of which were either not known or not recognised. At the Hasborough L.H., Oct. 26th, 10 p.m., E., o.m., a great many various small birds; eight killed were Larks and Thrushes. At Swin Middle L.V., Sept. 9th and 12th, flocks of small birds passed all night to N.W. At Hanois L.H., Sept. 8th and 27th, fog and rain, evening to 9 p.m., great rush of small birds of many sorts.

General Remarks.

The report for 1880 compared with that of the previous year shows very similar results, as in 1879 a considerable proportion of the immigrants crossed at the more southern stations, or at the narrowest portion of the North Sea. If we divide the east coast into three divisions, one north-easterly from the Farne Islands to the Humber, mid-east from the Humber to Yarmouth, and south-eastern forward to the South Foreland, we find that in 1879 the main body of migrants passed in the south-eastern division; in 1880 they have been tolerably equally distributed over the mid and south-eastern. During the principal month of migration, October, the wind blew persistently day by day and week by week from northerly and easterly quarters, and to this cause we may fairly attribute the deflection of migrants to the south. In support of this I may quote the letter of Mr. Thos. O. Hall of the Longstone Lighthouse, who, writing under date Feb. 15th, 1881, says:--"The chief flight undoubtedly took place on the 15th and 16th of October, at which time I was on shore. I have been resident on the Farne Islands thirteen years, and during that time never remember seeing so few birds as we have had this autumn. I have remarked that when the flight takes place with the wind at E. or N.E., the body of birds is to the south of us about Whitby and southward."

Notwithstanding the enormous number of immigrants arriving, as shown in our returned schedules from each station, we may be quite certain these returns only represent an almost inappreciable percentage of the actual number on passage. On days of uncertain light or on clear fine starlight nights, when migration is carried on at a considerable height, immense numbers of birds might pass any station for hours without a chance of observation; and it is quite possible that, if the whole three hundred miles of coast were studded with floating posts of observation at the distance of half a mile, equal average results would have been obtained, our present stations on the light-vessels affording no more especial line of advantage than any other imaginary line drawn across the North Sea. Incredible although it may appear, we believe that the vast majority of the immigrants coming to us in the autumn in one broad front from east to west are such as cross with the intention of remaining the winter in some part or other of the British Islands, and naturally take the place of our own resident summer species which have left, or are about leaving us, for the south.

As in 1879 the main line of migration has been a broad stream from east to west, and covering the whole of the English east coast, this is the line mainly followed by the _Passeres_. Taking this line as a basis, we find birds also occasionally coming from points north of east; but in the vast majority of instances the migration has had a decidedly southerly trend, coming from points south of east, and even direct from the southward. Again, there is in the autumn always a steady stream of migrants which closely follows the coast-line from N. to S., composed of birds either moving from more northerly districts of our islands, or of such immigrants coming from the east as strike the coast in more northern latitudes and then follow it to the south. The great wide E. to W. stream of migration is composed of some few well-known species which regularly come to us in the autumn, the great body undoubtedly remaining to winter; placed in order of rotation according to their numerical superiority or otherwise, we find _Alauda arvensis_, _Sturnus vulgaris_, _Corvus cornix_ and _frugilegus_, the _Turdidæ_, including two native and two northern species, with sparrows, linnets, and chaffinches compose the bulk of the immigrants. Others, as _Ruticilla phœnicurus_, the _Saxicolæ_, and other soft-billed insect-eaters, although coming from the eastward, persistently follow the coast-line to the south. All the _Limicolæ_ and other shore birds, as well as the Geese, Ducks, Divers, Gulls, and sea-fowl generally, move from north to south as a general rule, the sea-fowl at some distance at sea, the waders along the coast. Although so far we have no stations, excepting Heligoland, on the European coast of the North Sea, we may, I think, fairly presume that there is similarly another stream of birds passing down the coast-line of Europe. Migration as observed on that island for many years points to the undoubted fact that the line followed by birds is, as a rule, from E. to W., and doubtless some portion of these Heligoland birds keep moving westward or south-westward, till eventually they strike our east coast. There are, however, many species which make Heligoland the western boundary of their autumn wanderings, and crossing, as they do, that island in enormous numbers, must eventually follow the coast-line to the south, for the simple reason that they never occur on our own coast, except as very rare or occasional wanderers; such are _Motacilla alba_ and _flava_, _Ruticilla suecica_, _Emberiza hortulana_, _Plectrophanes lapponicus_, _Anthus Richardi_, and, in a less degree, _Muscicapa luctuosa_ and _Otocorys alpestris_. These all, then, must pass southward along the European coast, as do doubtless an immense majority of those countless Sparrowhawks, Siskins, and more familiar birds which cross the island in the autumn migration; and just as occasionally some species, whose line of migration lies farther to the eastward still, turn up as wanderers to the old rock from the regular track, so do occasionally now one and now another of the regular Heligoland immigrants get blown across to one side.

The observations taken at some of our southern stations both in 1879 and 1880 show that, in the autumn, there is what may be called a double stream of birds crossing each other near the entrance of the English Channel, that is, from the Essex and Kent coast towards the S.E. on to the French and Belgian coast, and again in the opposite direction from the Belgian land to the coast of Kent. During the severe weather in the early part of 1881, as well as in December, flocks of birds came to us direct from the French coast, or from the south to the north. These must be considered purely local migrations, caused by outbursts of severe weather.

It is a curious fact that in nearly every case of birds passing the Casquets L.H. in the past autumn, they were travelling in a N.W. direction, or from the French to the English coast, a line of migration which does not seem to be in proper accord with what we should imagine migrating birds would or rather ought to take. On reference to the chart of the Channel it is apparent that any flocks leaving the French coast at or near Cape de la Hague, and crossing. Alderney, when once off the Casquets might as readily and easily steer for the Start Point on the English side as across the wide break in the French coast for Port Sillon, each being about equal distances from the Casquets.

As in 1879 birds have crossed in all hours of the day and night, and in all winds and weathers, the returns also show, as did the preceding, that they seldom fly dead to windward, except with light breezes, and that strong head winds are prejudicial to their passage. The line of flight mostly adopted is within three or four points of the wind; they will go on well, even with a beam wind or some points short of beam, if not too strong. Small birds have often much difficulty in making head against a strongly-opposing wind. Mr. John Cutting, writing from the light-vessel on the Galloper Bank, says, that out of the number of small birds passing that station in October and November against strong adverse winds, he could not think they would ever reach land, they made such very slow progress, the wind being too strong and the distance from land so great. Even such strong-winged birds as the Grey Crow do not always cross in safety; I have been told by an old fen farmer that, many years ago, when a great gale swept the Lincolnshire coast, at the time the Hooded Crow crossed, the coast was subsequently strewed with their bodies cast up by the sea.

Birds are noticed at the stations as sometimes flying high, sometimes low; often it will be observed with northerly and easterly winds they will fly high, and with winds in opposite quarters, low. The state of weather at the time of migration has more, we think, to do with the height at which birds travel than the direction of the wind. On clear light nights they travel high, as a rule, but in fog, and thick murky weather, rain or snow, not far above the waves. On thick nights, indeed, lost birds will wheel for hours round a lightship, but with the first break in the clouds or streak of early dawn are on their course again. At the Casquets, which is a revolving light, the larger birds follow the rays, but do not often strike the glass.

With such favourable passages as light head winds afford, our immigrants are so little fatigued that they will not alight on reaching land, but keep on their course into the interior. I have watched for hours flock after flock arriving on the east coast, coming directly from westward, Rooks, Starlings, Lapwings, and Snow Buntings, and keeping on in a direct westerly direction as far as the eye or a good glass were able to follow. Often, too, when on the hills, miles from the sea, I have seen migrating flocks passing inland. Larks in straggling flocks, carrolling cheerily as they pass; there is no bird which migrates so cheerily and light-heartedly as the Lark, ever ready to burst into song on the least occasion. At other times, with adverse winds, I have watched migrants scarce able to struggle on shore dropping in the first shelter, or even on the bare wind-swept coast. At Lynn Well light-vessel large numbers of migrants passed day by day, and for the entire day, during October, from S.E. or S.S.E., and even S. to N.W. From the position of this station off Lynn Deeps at the bottom of the Wash, under the shelter of the north-westerly trend of the coast, these migrants must have first crossed the northern part of the county of Norfolk, without alighting, on their way to the fens of Lincolnshire and Cambridge, and this both by day and night.

"Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, Though the dark night is near."

It is very remarkable how suddenly the stream of migration commences running, and how suddenly it stops again. We watch, at early morning, a flock of Larks or Hooded Crows come to land; others soon follow, and then for some hours--it may be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.--there is a constant arrival of migrants; and then migration, at least for that day, is over, and not a single wanderer will be seen.

As a rule, the young of the year migrate some weeks in advance of the old birds; this holds good with all orders and species. In the spring the males often migrate in advance of the females.

The time of migration of any particular species extends over a considerable period; sometimes it is over in four or five weeks, in other cases going on for months, and even half a year; for, practically, such birds as the Lark and Starling are migrating all the year round. In every case the migration of a set species will continue, day by day, or week by week, till it attains the maximum by a "great rush," the main body passing, and then gradually falling off, till the migration of that species is completed.

Independent of the normal or ordinary migration, we have frequently local migrations, due to sudden changes of weather, or in search of fresh feeding-grounds. These "great rushes" of immigrants, coming helter-skelter on to our east coast, are often accompanied or followed very closely by outbursts of severe weather; and a sudden increase of cold in winter will almost clear a whole district of its birds; in fact, all birds are very susceptible to changes of weather, and, if closely watched, will indicate by their movements the coming change. On Jan. 12th, in this year, when in the Humber marshes, I noticed Larks and Snow Buntings passing from N. to S. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., separate flocks for some hours, and after 11 p.m., when the snow commenced, continuous.

Birds in the early autumn do not, it is evident, migrate for lack of food, for the young of the _Limicolæ_ are on our coast at a time when the supply of insect-food in high northern latitudes is the most abundant; and our own insect-eating birds are often away long before there is, or can be, any falling off in food. On the same grounds it is not changes in the seasons which can induce young birds, having no knowledge from experience, to return south in the heat of the Arctic latter-summer; as to the _how_ and the _why_ of the whole matter, we must be content for the present to say nothing, but continue to collect facts.

In 1880 the main body of the migrants crossed between the 15th and end of October, the greater number perhaps on the 17th of that month.

WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND.

Printed forms, letters, and remarks were forwarded to thirty-eight stations on the west coast of Scotland and the Isles, being two more than in 1879, _viz._, Bahama Lightship and Langness Lighthouse, both in Isle of Man.[11]

[Footnote 11: Mr. Philip Kermode received the Isle of Man returns, and forwarded them to me afterwards for incorporation with the Scottish ones.]

We have received in all returned, filled-in schedules from twenty-six stations, being two more than last year.

Only four stations have not sent in returns, which sent them in last year,[12] but, to make up for this, we have gained six from stations which sent us none last year,[13] besides adding one from one of the new stations.[14]

[Footnote 12: Devaar; Pladda; Lamlash; Little Ross.]

[Footnote 13: Stornoway; Ushenish; Kyleakin; Lismore; Turnberry; Douglas Head.]

[Footnote 14: Bahama Bank (L.V.).]

A marked improvement is apparent in these returns, and it is evident that very general interest is being taken in the work. Altogether, our west coast returns are quite satisfactory, and it gives us much pleasure to think that the first year's reports have really interested our obliging correspondents. We hope that the present general report will succeed in enlisting the whole body in the service. We can as yet only repeat, that we believe that interesting and curious results will in time be arrived at; but we deprecate any attempt at present to arrive at these, desiring first a firm basis of facts to build upon, which can only be obtained by continued attention and careful record, for a few years longer, of a large mass of statistics.

The stations from which co-operation was asked are the following, commencing with the most northerly--Cape Wrath. Those from which returns have been received are marked with a *; those which sent returns both last year and this have two **; those which sent none last year but have done so this year have a † prefixed; those which sent returns last year but none this year are printed in _italics_. Stations added this year have the date, 1880, preceding them.

West Coast of Scotland.

Mainland.

Height of centre of light above water.

81. **Cape Wrath. 400 ft. John M'Gill. 82. **Rhu Stoir. 195 William Wither.

Outer Hebrides.

83. **Butt of Lewis. 140 George Edgar. 84. †Stornoway. 56 John Grierson. 85. *Island Glass. 130 William Innes. 86. **Monach Island. { Upper 150 } James Youngclause. { Lower 62 } 87. †Ushenish. 176 Peter Carrie. 88. Barra Head. 683

Mainland, Skye, and Inner Hebrides.

89. Rona, Skye. 222 90. †Kyleakin, Rosspire. 53 David M'Culloch. 91. **Isle Ornsay, Skye. 58 James Loughten. 92. **Ardnamurchan Point, 180 David Laidlaw. Argyleshire. 93. {Hynish Signal Tower, Tiree. } 150 William Crow. 94. {Skerryvore, off Tiree. } 95. **Dhuheartach, S.W. of Ross of Mull. 145 James Ewing. 96. **Sound of Mull, Mull. 55 William M'Lellan. 97. Corran Ferry, Loch Eil. 38 98. †Lismore Island, Oban. 103 Alexander Murray. 99. *_Fladda, Easdale._ 42 100. **Rhuvaal, Islay. 147 David Spink. 101. *_M'Arthur's Head, Islay._ 128 102. **Skervuile, Jura. 73 John Ewing. 103. **Rhinns of Islay. 150 Andrew Lyall. 104. **Lochindaul, Islay. 50 William Maill. 105. Mull of Kintyre. 297 106. Sanda, Kintyre Sound. 165 107. _Devaar, Kintyre._ 120 108. _Pladda, Arran._ 130 109. _Lamlash, Arran._ 46 110. †Turnberry, Ayrshire. 96 Andrew Nisbet. 111. **Corsewall, Wigtown. 112 Robert Laidlaw. 112. **Loch Ryan, Wigtown. 46 Ralph Ewing. 113. **Portpatrick, Wigtown. 37 James Beggs. 114. **Mull of Galloway, Wigtown. 325 N. Morrison. 115. _Little Ross, Kirkcudbright._ 175 116. *Point of Ayre, Isle of Man. 106 James Blythe. 117. †Douglas Head, Isle of Man. 104 Alexander M'Donald. 118. Chickens Rock, Isle of Man. 122 119. *1880.--Bahama Bank, Isle of Man (L.V.)‡ -- Johns. 120. 1880.--Langness Lighthouse, do.

‡ Light-vessels being only a few feet above the sea, I have not indicated the exact elevation, which, however, is usually about 30 feet.

SPRING MIGRATION, 1880.[15]

[Footnote 15: In writing out the data of the spring migration, I take the most southerly stations first, reversing the sequence of the autumn records.]

SEPARATE REPORT ON EACH SPECIES.

Strigidæ.--At Skerryvore, one Brown Owl appeared on 10th May, at 2.30 p.m., in showery weather.

Falconidæ.--At Douglas Head,[16] one "Black Hawk" (Sparrowhawk?) was noted at 8 a.m., in clear weather, with light E.N.E. breeze.

[Footnote 16: It is noted on the schedule from this station that the lighthouse, "being inland, little or any observations on the migration of birds can be noted accurately."]

Hirundinidæ.--The earliest date on which Swallows are recorded from any west coast stations is April 7th, and this at one of our most northerly stations, _viz._, Butt of Lewis. This is followed by April 17th at Douglas Head, one of our most southern stations in the Isle of Man; seen at 12 noon; wind light S.E. breeze, clear or showers; these were not again observed. Again, on April 24th, their arrival is recorded at Rhinns of Islay. Thereafter none are noted until 6th May, at Loch Ryan, in Wigtownshire, when a flight of fifty was observed, followed by twenty and fifteen on the 8th and 11th: winds from N.W. through N. to E. and fresh, clear to haze. At Skerryvore, one was seen on 10th May, in calm, hazy and rainy weather. On 11th, 12th and 13th, eight flew about the Point of Ayre. On 24th, four were seen _flying south_ past Ardnamurchan station. On 22nd, one at Monach Island; winds from S.W. to N.W., fresh. The remaining records are in June. On June 14th, at Ardnamurchan, two again seen flying southwards; and on 22nd, at Skerryvore; calm, hazy weather. Possibly these June records of birds flying south may belong to the autumn migration. It thus appears that a spring _rush_ took place in the earlier part of May--from the 6th to the 14th. About the same time, _viz._, May 20th, a flock of "Martin Swallows," _Hirundo urbica_, appeared at the Butt of Lewis during light W. wind, with haze; they stopped about three hours and then flew off, going S.W.

_Note._--Swallows and Martins were first observed at Ballina, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, by Mr. E. Warren, on April 19th.

Swift, _Cypselus_.--First noted at Ballina by Mr. Warren, on May 12th.