Part 7

Pelecanidæ.--Movements of Gannets are noted at Lismore; two seen on May 24th, and at Mull of Galloway on 21st--large flock flying west, light E. breeze; and on 22nd about eighty also flying W., with strong S. wind, clear. In July, great flights flying S. all day at Loch Ryan, on the 8th, and two seen at Skervuile. Great flights in August at Loch Ryan, flying N., wind N.N.W., strong; Sept. 29th and 30th, at Skervuile, flying S. At Butt of Lewis, daily, from March 15th till Sept. 15th. "Daily, all the year round," at Kyleakin. Solan Geese had all disappeared from the vicinity of Dhuheartach by Nov. 14th, and they reappeared there again on Jan. 25th (1883), and other records are up to Feb. 6th (1883.)

Ardeidæ.--Only one record given at Portpatrick, Nov. 6th, N.W. gale, flying N.; but there can be no doubt of the greater frequency of their visits all through the season.

Anatidæ.--Wild Geese at Butt of Lewis, April 24th, when forty seen flying S.W., and on 29th fourteen seen flying S.E.; wind on both days fresh S. and rain. In August, at Monach, two flying N.W., strong N. wind; on 30th and on 27th, two flying S., at Rhinns of Islay, light E. In October, various flocks of sixteen, eighteen, twenty-four, &c., with general E. winds, coming and going in different directions at Monach, mostly flying N.W., and at Kyleakin, but flying S.W. on Oct. 12th. Also in November, between 3rd and 6th, at Rhinns of Islay and Loch Ryan, small parties flying S., with different winds A few records in December also, at Monach. Records of Eider Ducks on Sept. 22nd and 27th, at Dhuheartach, males and females in equal proportions; eighteen and twenty-four Eiders at Dhuheartach on Dec. 3rd and 10th, males and females. A few "Pintail Ducks" (?) at Monach on Nov. 13th, and one female shot. Swan: four at Corsewall, flying N.E., on Sept 27th, fresh S.E. _Land Notes._--Black Scoters abundantly. Velvet Scoters sparingly, but Scaup Ducks rarely seen on Solway Firth during June and July. Common Scoter abundant in August; several Velvet Scoters seen. Sept. 23rd, about fifty Wild Geese, finally flew away over sea to S.S.E.; Oct. 1st, five Geese flew over Douglas Hall; 2nd, more seen; twenty-four Geese seen on Oct, 14th (J. J. Armistead).

Rallidæ.--Corncrake at Rhinns of Islay, first seen on May 19th; at Dhuheartach one seen on the rock on May 8th (never seen before here by Mr. Ewing); and at Kyleakin one heard on May 31st. Directions of wind not given.

Charadriadæ.--At Rhuvaal, three to four dozen young and old Golden Plovers on Oct. 6th, and a few seen at Monach on Nov. 13th, and a good many scattered over the islands at Monach on Dec. 14th. Lapwings are also mentioned once or twice.

Scolopacidæ, Woodcock.--The rush barely indicated at Monach (odd bird) Oct. 11th; Lismore (two killed), Oct. 8th; and one bird at Sound of Mull, Nov. 5th. Snipe also very slight movement, principally at Rhinns of Islay. Of Curlew, many records from Aug. 12th to Dec. 16th. Rush appears, if any took place, to have been in September. Whimbrels are reported "very scarce," only two records on July 21st, and on Aug. 15th, at Skerryvore. There are also a few spring records of Curlews, from February to June. _Land Notes._--Aug. 8th, saw two Greenshanks on Solway (J. J. Armistead, Esq.) It appears possible that this bird breeds not far from the Solway, from other information I have gained.--J. A. H. B. Four Turnstones seen Aug. 31st, Solway (_auct. cit._); also two hundred Bar-tailed Godwits and thirty or forty Golden Plovers. No Knots yet.

Laridæ.--Terns arrived at Rhinns of Islay on May 16th; at Dhuheartach on May 12th; on Monach Islands, May 15th. They were last seen at Skervuile on Sept. 6th. They leave Butt of Lewis about Aug. 12th. They passed Lismore at night, striking lantern, on Aug. 13th, and on 14th more, accompanied by Larks. Of Gulls, "Boatswain Birds" were seen on June 21st, at MacArthur's Head, and there are records of them at Skervuile, along with Kittiwakes and Black-headed Gulls, from May 1st to 9th. Two "Dirty Allans" amongst a large flock of Gulls, at Butt of Lewis on July 10th; Iceland Gull, flying south, on Oct. 11th at Kyleakin; and great numbers of Kittiwakes at Skervuile, on Oct. 3nd and 22nd. _Land Notes._--Common Terns at nesting haunts in Kirkcudbrightshire, but no eggs laid by May 17th (_auct._ J. J. Armistead, Esq.) By Aug. 12th Terns had left their nesting-ground (_auct. cit._)

Colymbidæ.--Great Northern Diver seen at Kyleakin, near the lighthouse, on May 10th, light E. wind; again on June 19th, light W. wind. In autumn, at Monach, four seen, light S.E. wind, rain, and fog; two flying S. at Corsewall on Nov. 21st, and two, resting, on 22nd; two flying "towards N. Uist" (_i.e._ N.E.), at Monach, on Dec. 15th, and one flying east at Corsewall on Dec. 16th.

General Remarks.

A vast migration took place this year upon our E. coast, the heaviest waves breaking upon the entrance to the Firth of Forth, at the Isle of May station, and again at Pentland Skerries. Bell Rock came in also for a share, though apparently, from the schedules, a much smaller one than at the Isle of May. The easterly winds prevailed all along our E. coast, generally strong to gales, and the successions of south-easterly and easterly gales in October, between the 8th and 23rd, occurring as they did, just at the usual time of the principal migration, brought vast numbers of land-birds to our shores. From Faroe in the north to the extreme south of England this is found to have been the case, but the usual blank on our Scottish coast occurs, over a large extent of shore-line, from Dunnet Head, in Caithness, all the way to Bell Rock. From all this great stretch of coast, embracing no less than ten lighthouse stations, I have only two schedules returned. These two schedules respectively are from Cromarty, a closely landlocked station, and the other from Chanonry, a still more completely landlocked station,--both absolutely sheltered, as it were, from the track of the great S.E. and easterly gales; I may therefore say that I have not a single statistic of direct value, between Dunnet Head and Bell Rock, as regards the general migration. My thanks are none the less due, however, to Mr. Ritson, of Cromarty, and to Mr. McGill, of Chanonry, as their notes will, without doubt, prove of value if continued, and will assist us in arriving at conclusions regarding more local movements of birds, dependent upon food and shelter, which may prove none the less interesting because of their connection with landlocked positions. The absence of returns from this great stretch of coast-line is much to be deplored, and at present I am perfectly unable to state whether it is due entirely to absence of birds at all these stations every season, which, however, I can hardly think is the case, or if it is lack of interest at some of these stations. If the latter, we can only say we regret that we have failed to arouse sufficient interest in our subject. I cannot pass over this without the one further remark, that if the lighthouse-keepers at these stations would only return the schedules, with even a _negative_ statement, _every year_, it would facilitate our work. _The absolute knowledge, that year after year no birds are seen at these stations would be as valuable to us as positive data._ By a chance visit to Buchan Ness--one of these stations--on the Aberdeenshire coast, I learned that a Manx Shearwater was once captured at the lights, and saw the specimen, and thus it was added to the Aberdeenshire fauna, besides being an extremely rare visitant to any portion of the E. coast. Had this been returned in a schedule, I would have been doubly grateful for dates and circumstances of the occurrence at the time. While I am on the subject of addressing our reporters _let me once more earnestly request them, in every case where possible, to state the directions in which migratory flocks of birds are seen flying. This would greatly facilitate our deductions from year to year; and especially would I ask attention to this at all the more northerly stations, and all the west coast stations_.

Perhaps not the least remarkable migration was that of _Regulus cristatus_ (the Golden-crested Wren), extending in one broad wave from Faroe southward along the whole coast, coming with S. to S.E. to E. winds, reaching the Scottish stations by Aug. 27th, and continuing to November 12th, but apparently not reaching Faroe till Oct. 21st, when a great rush took place. It is worthy of remark also that they were unusually abundant at Isle of May in spring, a rush taking place in March, and of females on March 10th. The stream in autumn, on the Scotch coasts, lasted from 8th to 23rd, but did not begin in Faroe till 20th or 21st. A vast general rush of many other species reached our coasts also between Oct. 8th and 23rd. The great waves of _Turdidæ_ scarcely seem to have reached Faroe, as we have only a few records of them thence in December, and the same remark may be held to apply to many other species mentioned.

It is also important to note, that while so abundant at the outlying station of Isle of May and Bell Rock on the E. coast, there should have been an almost complete absence of any of these species at the next station, a little higher up the Firth of Forth, _viz._, at Inch Keith; and to record that it appears to be always with westerly winds that birds occur there. While there were hundreds of records at Isle of May, there were none with the same winds at Inch Keith, and only about ten records in all. Its somewhat landlocked position accounts for this, and its being sheltered from the S.E. winds places it on a similar footing with Chanonry and Cromarty, in the Moray Firth. Weather.--Upon our E. coasts, easterly and south-easterly winds prevailed throughout the greater part of the migratory seasons, both in spring and autumn, and reached forces of from fresh to gales. On the W. coast the wind was for the most part westerly and north westerly, rarely S. during spring, at the greater part of the stations, and was easterly and south-easterly in autumn, seldom reaching fresh or strong, or gales, as on the E. coast, usually light, or from light E. or S.E. to variable. The above facts will be considered, whilst we state next the distribution of the migratory waves on the W. coast, in relation to those on the E. coast. As in 1881, records on the W. coast begin to bulk more largely towards the southern stations. All north of Rhinns of Islay and MacArthur's Head the records of land-birds are very scanty, and the lighthouse keepers remark upon the scarcity. At usually (normally) crowded stations, such as Skervuile, they are reported as yielding "fewer birds than for many years back." Even at Rhinns of Islay the records are not large, but they begin to show an increase at this point. Unfortunately I have no autumn returns between Rhinns of Islay and Corsewall, which latter is south of the Firth of Clyde.

Now, if anything additional to the general bulk of the records is required to show the line of migration of 1882, it is the significant record of the Golden-crested Wren at Rhinns of Islay on Oct. 10th, and at Corsewall and stations to the south, but nowhere to the north of the former station. Now, it seems that the strong easterly to S.E. gales on our E. coast, which brought over such streams (rather than rushes) of birds,--such countless thousands,--did not carry them forward across the breadth of Scotland to any appreciable extent, but that the birds, tired and storm-tossed, rapidly sought rest and shelter on arrival; and that we have only on the W. coast indications that such a great stream broke upon the E. coast. These indications, however, are strong enough to enable us to mark out, with some degree of certainty, the lines and turning-points of the stream.

If we do this, by comparing the records of the various schedules, we find that, south of the Firth of Clyde, the records bulk most largely; and we also find that the dates agree with those of the E. coast.

MacArthur's Head and Rhinns of Islay appear to me, from the bulking of records, similarity of dates, continuance of light E. winds, and species occurring, to represent the turning-point of the autumn migration from E. to W. Rhinns of Islay is a salient angle, catching glimpses of passing birds from N.W. to S.E. Otherwise, if the strong gales did not cause all birds to drop for shelter on Scotland, it must have carried many far out over the Atlantic, as in 1880. Isle of May sends in 19 schedules, and Pentland Skerries 8. Bell Rock sends 2--thickly filled--and North Ronaldshay 3, but bulking less than Bell Rock. What has become of the many birds passing through the Pentland Firth? We find little indication of them at the nine northerly W. coast stations. Have many overshot the land and passed out over the Atlantic?

Another point worth noting, is the occurrence of many birds in spring at the same stations frequented by the species in autumn. Thus, at Mull of Galloway on March 8th and 9th, with westerly winds. Goldcrests were abundant, and at the same station on Oct. 15th and 16th, an autumn-rush took place, with easterly and N.E. wind and haze. The same double records occur at Bell Rock and Isle of May as regards many species, and especially _Turdidæ_ and _Regulus cristatus_. This "returning" upon old lines has already been remarked upon by my colleague, Mr. J. Cordeaux, in our Third Report (p. 38). Since these last sentences were written, I have received the first of the 1883 schedules from the Isle of May, and may here state what the effects of the succession of N.E. gales in March have been on the spring migration, leaving however the details of Mr. Agnew's schedules to be worked into our next--1883--Report. I give this in Mr. Agnew's own words, as I entirely coincide with the opinions expressed. Mr. Agnew writes on the back of the schedule as follows:--"With reference to your note on the schedules sent, as to the effect of the N.E. gale of March 6th, 7th, and 8th, 1883, you will see from the entries inside that the effect of that gale was almost to stop migration at the Isle of May. Migration that had set in pretty briskly on the 2nd almost ceased on the 5th, and from that date we had only a few stragglers of the strongest wings, up to the 19th. I believe the effect of that gale was to drive the birds that should have come this way, away to the southward. Had the gale been from the S.E. it would have been different here."

In fact, a N.E. wind reaching such strengths as those of March 1883 did, acts very much in the same way upon spring migrants, pressing them more to the southward, as north-westerly strong winds and gales act upon the autumn migrants, whose normal course is from E. to W., or S. of E. to N. of W. It will be interesting to trace this further from the schedules returned from other stations, when they come in for 1883. Another point to note in spring migration of 1883, will be the greater westering of the return migrants, if we may use the expression, partly consequent upon the greater westering of the autumn migrants, caused by the long-continued and strong south-easterly winds of the preceding autumn, and partly upon the north-easterly winds of March pressing them down and deflecting their course to more inland and sheltered lines.

In this connection I would speak here of the great assembly of the Pied Wagtails on the narrow stone horizontal moulding above the upper windows of the General Post Office, Edinburgh, where, upon March 17th, 1883, A. B. H., who recorded the facts in the 'Scotsman' of that date, counted more than sixty; and he adds, in a subsequent letter to me, "there was at least one in every niche of the carved capitols of the columns. I think I am quite within the mark when I say there were 150 birds altogether." This flock roosted there on March 17th and 18th, but disappeared on the 19th, owing, Mr. H. thinks, to a rise of temperature and the wind going round from N.E. to S.E. Mr. H. was informed that numbers, probably the same birds, were seen feeding at Duddingstone Loch on the 18th. Now, several years ago, a similar assemblage was noted at the same locality, by a well-known Edinburgh ornithologist, but it occurred, not in spring but in autumn, and a general movement was at that time also noted by Mr. H., and recorded in the Proc. Ryl. Phyl. Soc. of Edinburgh, on Jan. 15th, 1879, from which last noted records of autumnal migration it would appear that he saw about seventy Pied Wagtails on the roof a house in Edinburgh, in the middle of September, 1878, and Mr. Scot Skirving, of Edinburgh, on a previous occasion, saw some 300 at the General Post Office, but the exact date of this latter record has unfortunately been lost or mislaid, as we are unable, of course, to find out definitely the meteorological phenomena accompanying the record.

Further, my friend Mr. Eagle Clarke, notes the arrival of the same species in the neighbourhood of the Ure River, near Masham, Yorkshire, as early as Feb. 5th, 1883. Though resident in the lowlands about Leeds, it is migratory to and from the higher lands. Mr. Eagle Clarke has often seen as many as 200 in a flock, on a large lawn near Leeds.

Mr. Agnew informs me, that with a S. wind there is little migration past the Isle of May, and that S.E. is the best wind in spring to permit of observations being made. Five Wagtails were seen at Isle of May on the 29th and 30th, however, during a gale from the S.

The Spring Migration of 1883 seems to me to indicate the direct effects of the N.E. gale, causing these Wagtails to keep inland by a more sheltered route, which Wagtails in ordinary weather would probably have passed up the coast-line and crossed the entrance of the Firth of Forth, showing themselves at Isle of May and Bell Rock stations. Mr. Robert Gray has, I believe, frequently observed the spring arrivals of this species on the west coast--in Ayrshire; and it will be interesting to see if we can trace the movement up the west coast, _on the returning lines_, when schedules are returned for 1883, from Mull of Galloway and other west coast stations.

I have dwelt upon these facts because I believe that our appreciation of the general lines and of the laws regulating the great annual migrations can be very greatly assisted by the study of individual species on their migration, and good opportunities are in this report afforded us of doing so by the records of several species. One more remark:--It seems also worthy of note that very possibly these Wagtails were finding their way _across_ Scotland from the Solway or the Clyde, and, resting on the General Post Office buildings, repaired _south_ for daily food--as I have noticed birds do during the spring migration on the Petchora, at Ust Zylma, and Habarika, in N. E. Russia; and on the advent of a more favourable temperature and change of wind, pursued their course northward. If these are correctly recorded as Pied Wagtails,--as there is no reason to suppose is not so,--then their destination would be the North of Scotland; but if they were the White Wagtail or continental form, then, as far as general records of migration guide us, they would probably _shoot off_ again at Isle of May or Bell Rock--towards the Continent. Mr. Agnew's note of "very white Wagtails" at Isle of May should be borne in mind in this connection (_antea_, p. 12).

That a line of migration does occur across Scotland both in spring and autumn between Forth and Clyde, I think, needs little demonstration beyond what we have already stated in previous reports; both from data and by referring to General Remarks this seems perfectly obvious. The evidences of the sea having at one time advanced inland a long distance past the very spot in which I now live can scarcely be gainsaid; and Forth and Clyde--by two separate branches--must at one time have approached one another very much more closely than they now do, and a comparatively narrow isthmus have been formed by at least one of these two branches. As already remarked, it is curious to find rare American and rare eastern species occurring so frequently at localities on that line; witness as the latest record of importance that of the Pectoral Sandpiper, _Tringa maculata_, Vieillot, at Loch Lomond, after continuous and scarcely failing easterly winds, on Nov. 24th, 1882.

Sir Geo. Leith Buchanan informs me that he believes that the wind was north-west at the time he shot the Pectoral Sandpiper, but this was local, as prevailing winds were easterly at that time. Sir George also tells me of the other birds of rare occurrence which he has met with at the same locality, but no notes at the time were taken of wind. These are as follows:--

"Buonapartian Gull, in April 1851 or 1852. Black-tailed Godwit, April, about same date. Shoveller found breeding, and two since shot by keeper. Two Wood Sandpipers, one in August and the other on Oct. 4th. One Little Stint in October, seen in company with two others. The Spotted Crake must breed, as every autumn I meet with them when Snipe-shooting. The Shrike I obtained once in December, 1866, and I saw another two or three winters since." I think if we thus endeavour to group together rare occurrences, and collect lists from various localities, we cannot fail to arrive at some conclusions regarding the highways of migration. We are thus working from data up to facts, without an undue amount of theorising.

It is well known to naturalists that Swallows cross the Alps by certain passes, as is also done by other species, regularly year after year. People have often marvelled at the punctuality of appearance of the Swallow and other species at certain favourite resorts. There is nothing marvellous in it. When the great general movement takes place, and the flights of birds pass over old frequented and well-known spots, these are recognised and promptly occupied by the hereditary occupants, or, if found unoccupied by later migrants, they are then filled up. This remark applies both in spring and autumn. In a former Report I have instanced the arrivals of Wood Pigeons on the Fife coast, and I have also instanced breeding-sites of birds occupied for many years, unoccupied for two or more years, and then reoccupied again. I am informed by Mr. A. B. Herbert that some of the favourite alpine passes for the annual migration of birds are the Albula and Bermina Passes into the Adda Valley and Lake Como, returning the same way in spring. If this regularity occurs during the passage of the bulk of migratory birds, I think there are good reasons for believing that a similar regularity appears in the distribution along certain lines of rare visitants, even if travelled all the way from America or the Asiatic steppes and tundras. No doubt they get into the groove--so to speak--and carry on in company with the main flocks of other species, joining issue with them along the great highways of migration, which I think have been well pointed out in many cases by Palmén and Herr Weissmann. Though the article by the latter has been abundantly criticised and even pooh-poohed, I venture to record my firm belief that there is more in it than appeared on the surface, and that the more we know of migration the more fully will his theory be borne out.