Richard Manliffe Barrington

“ Migration is a voluntary, and not a compulsory, movement; and it must not be imagined that recurring bird waves actually push each other forward. Young Blackbirds and Thrushes leave some weeks in advance of the great rush of their continental allies; and it is well known that Woodcocks, which breed in Great Britain, leave in the autumn, before the arrival of the northern flights, a distinct interval elapsing between the two events—the going and the coming. ”

“ But on approaching high land, say 200 or 300 feet in height, while at night the greatest darkness is ahead of them, and the greatest light to the north or south of their course; during the day-time, if the wind is off-shore—a beam wind,—on approaching the lee shore, they enter upon a calm belt of sheltered air and water, and choose the easier path along shore. According to whether the off-shore wind is strong or light, will they approach nearer or keep further out; and, skirting the coast-line, so enter upon one of the great open highways of normal migration. ”

“ Our land stations report a great scarcity both of land and sea-birds; this has not, however, been the case at sea stations—that is, light-vessels situated off the coast at distances varying from five to fifty miles; here the stream of migration, so far from showing any abatement, has flown steadily on in a full tide, and, judging from the well-filled schedules that have been returned, there appears to have been a decided increase in the migrants passing these distant stations—due, perhaps, in some measure to increased interest and improved observations. ”

“ What impels our autumn visitants, the young weeks in advance of their parents, to launch westward across what, for anything they can possibly know to the contrary, may prove an Atlantic, an ocean without a further shore?
There are doubtless several causes, working separately or together, which influence migration, and we must not look for an explanation of the phenomena attending these great periodical movements to one cause only, for by doing this we lose sight perhaps of other equally powerful incentives. ”

“ During all last week there was - 8 - one Redstart, one Starling, and one Robin at the lantern; not a Woodcock has struck this year; the Goldcrests which used to flock about the lantern never come near it; though they are very numerous on the island, [5] I have only seen two at the lantern. A fixed white light is no doubt best for attracting birds; the alternate light and darkness baffles them altogether, and the quicker the revolutions are, the worse baffled they become. There has been almost total absence during the past two years of Redpoles and Siskins. ”

“ The period of the migratory flight in the autumn of any particular genus or species is most probably referable to two causes: the first one of temperature, affecting the time of nesting; the second is the period at which the young arrive at maturity, or rather that period when they throw off paternal control or are thrown off themselves. When able to act independently and procure food on their own account, they flock together and migrate in a body. We know that, with rare exceptions, the young of the year migrate some weeks in advance of the parent birds ”

“ In January depressions of very considerable size passed by our north-western and northern shores after the 2d, with very sudden changes of temperature of an unusual character and great magnitude; showers of cold rain, sleet, and hail from day to day, and very severe frosts at night. There are very clear indications in the diary of Migration, that the atmospheric disturbances were concurrent with a great rush of birds going south along the coast. Those chiefly noted being Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Thrushes, Redwings, Larks, Chaffinches, Linnets, Starlings, and some Crows. ”

“ At North Unst there are several migrants which build on the rock, and I wondered to see no account of Mother Carey's Chickens, as they breed on the rock, and at the end of August they annoyed us a good deal by striking the lantern and emitting an oily substance on the glass. At Start Point the Sheldrake breeds, and I have seen the Stock Duck breed on it also; and I was told there were thirteen species of Ducks frequented that locality, and I have seen Teal and Widgeon there in hundreds. Also at Noss Head there are various classes of birds which visit it in the breeding season. ”

“ The great majority of birds are killed striking on foggy, misty, or dark nights, and it is perhaps not impossible for a great migration to take place, and pass almost unrecorded if the night -83- be fine and bright. Whenever a bird has been killed striking, it is so stated, and not left to be understood.
The bulk of the migrants appear to arrive on our south eastern coast, except such birds as the Barnacle Goose and Snow Bunting, which are mainly recorded from the north western stations, being rarely entered in the schedules from the east or south coasts. ”

“ I have never seen so few birds early in spring, but as the spring advanced the numbers of Linnets, Fieldlarks, Stonechats, and Yellowhammers increased so much that I have not seen such numbers for many years past. The different species of Gull and Cormorant remain throughout the year; they breed on the cliffs on the large island of Arran. No birds ever strike this lantern, the light being red, and not showing in the direction of the general flight of birds. Autumn: I have noticed fewer birds than usual. ”

“ I notice a visible decrease annually in the numbers of both land and sea birds, a decrease attributed to the island not being so quiet as it was some years ago, before the lighthouse was built, when the birds had the island all to themselves, and there was no one residing on it, but was only used by the natives for grazing purposes. Now the keepers and their families going round the island, the small birds are disturbed at the period of incubation.
"In January and February a few Terns, Snow Buntings, Twites, and Rock Pipits struck the lantern, the wind being south. ”

“ The data from light stations is too scanty to speak positively; but, unlike the Snow Bunting, the Brambling and Siskin seem to have no preference for the N. and N.W. coasts. "Linnets" is a term which has appeared in reports from the commencement. It occasionally includes, there is little doubt, other birds besides the Grey Linnet. Not a single leg or wing of the Grey Linnet has yet been received. The Bullfinch is seldom alluded to, and so far—using only the Irish migration reports—there is little or no evidence that it migrates at all. ”

“ These are mainly composed of those common and well-known species which annually make these islands their winter resort, and take the place of our summer birds: they come in one broad stream, cutting the line of ordinary migration at nearly right angles; one flank brushes the Orkneys and Shetlands, pouring through the Pentland Firth, even touching the distant Faroes; the southern wing crosses the Channel Islands, shaping its course in a north-westerly direction to the English coast. ”

“ On the Tuskar Rock lighthouse I have counted twelve hundred killed in one night, and hundreds more fell into the sea that we did not get. At Rockabill lighthouse also I have got great numbers killed, and frequently four and six Teal or small duck, and Snipe and Woodcock. I have not seen since I came to this station one Wild Duck or Goose, nor any flock of migrating birds. I have kept a good look-out for the last two months, and have not seen any birds except a few Gannets and Sea Gulls."—Thomas McKenna. ”

“ Analyses of the West Coast schedules almost always show much lighter returns than those from the East Coast, even from the best West Coast stations. Our previous five years' experience in great measure explains why it is so, and it seems natural to expect lighter returns on the West than on the East in most winds or weather. But, having regard to the said experience and the facts of migration which may now be said to be ascertained and certain, there are also one or two additional causes for the light nature of West Coast returns as against East Coast ones ”