John Cordeaux

“ Magpies are plentiful inland, and very familiar and bold. The Grey Crow everywhere, old and young together; some of the Grey Crows in the north have the grey almost white, and in bright sunlight I I thought had a rosy tinge. Ravens were in great force about all the Arctic whaling stations. At Vadsö during the eclipse, and as the gloom thickened, a pair flew to and fro over the harbour, croaking most dismally. ”

“ Robins which we see at low water skulking amidst blackened timbers of ancient wrecks miles from the shore—Robins in scores on the bleak wind-swept fitties sheltering amongst sea-plants, or on the marram-grown dune—Robins again in hundreds preening and sunning on the lee side of storm-clipt hedgerows, so numerous that on dull autumn days the dark strip of fence is bright as a flower-bank with the gleam of so many chestnut-red spots. ”

“ Often have I wished that it were possible for a thoroughly practical ornithologist to be placed, for three months in the autumn, in each lighthouse and lightship; his work to consist of filling up, in a tabulated form, a record of birds striking the glass at night; the number of each species, sex and age, direction of flight, hour, state of weather and wind. These tables, taken collectively, would be deeply interesting, and perhaps throw light on some of the yet little-understood problems of migration.
It is rarely, if ever, that sea birds strike the glasses ”

“ It is a curious sight indeed for the lonely night-watcher to see the deluded little birds beating themselves to death against the polished pane, or to hear the thump as something heavier—Blackbird or Fieldfare—strikes and is hurled back smashed and senseless into the abyss. ”

“ In nine out of ten cases it is the true land bird that suffers from these collisions—such as under normal circumstances go to roost at a reasonable and early hour, and are on the wing again at the first flush of dawn; they are unaccustomed to the darkness, more apt to be bewildered by late hours and the glare of lamps, and have little experience of night travelling, for the dark night migration takes place but once a year. ”

“ It has long been a well-known fact that, during the period of the autumn migrations, large numbers of birds of various species immolate themselves by dashing, during the night time, when in full migratory swing, against the thick glasses which surround the lanterns of the various lighthouses on our shores, more particularly those situated on the eastern and southern coasts. I have known flocks of migrating Starlings settle in the night time on the top of a lighthouse, where they continued for a long time to keep up a continual chattering, astonished perhaps at the novelty of the situation. ”

“ Unfortunately those alighting on the coast are almost invariably potted by the first loafer who at break of day, with rusty fowling-piece and villainous cur at heel, strolls along the sea embankment; for the poor soft-winged slow-flying Owl offers an easy mark, and will sit till nearly trodden upon. This autumn unprecedented numbers came, and I have heard of them in many localities on this coast. ”

“ This mild winter has been very favourable for them with the abundant crop of hips and haws, yet with all this abundance neither young nor old have forgot the track of the Norway wind and the path to the summer home. ”

“ On Feb. 9th, at 9.30 a.m., I was up in the lantern, and, hearing a great cawing, I looked out, and saw a flock of about two hundred Rooks coming from the eastward; they flew over the top of the lantern and settled in the field beyond, feeding for an hour, and then going west. There has been a great migration, but no sorts of birds in any quantity except the Fieldfare. I think this light has never been a good one for birds; they get in the red rays of light and fly away, but in the white ray they get dazzled, and fly to the lantern-windows. ”

“ The commonest Gulls on the coast are the Lesser Black-backed and the Herring Gull, mixed flights of both following in the wake of the steamer almost continuously on the chance of picking up any scraps thrown overboard. Other Gulls were the Great Black-backed, the Common, and the Kittiwake; the latter, north of the Arctic Circle, being the predominant species and increasing in numbers the farther we go north. ”

“ One, if not the chief, industry of Norway is the fishing trade. The Lofoten fishery employs 8000 boats and 30,000 men; the take in 1895 was thirty-nine millions of Cod, in 1896 about twenty-one millions.
As the ornithologist on board the 'Neptune,' I cannot think our voyage to the Arctic Seas was a very remarkable one, as few except marine and shore birds were observed. Botanically, however, considering the lateness of the season, we did very well, and brought back many interesting plants from the tundra north of Vadsö. ”

“ Six dozen Starlings, two Lapwings, two Stints, and one Blackbird captured against lantern, and about four dozen Starlings found in the morning, at the base of the tower, dead. Wind S.W., dark, with showers. I have noticed we always get more birds when the wind is off the Lincolnshire coast, than when it blows in any other direction. ”

“ Old cock Blackbirds begin to swarm in coast hedgerows, and in fact in every tall rough fence and coppice for miles inland, till we are amazed at their astonishing plenty and the facilities offered for the "four-and-twenty Blackbirds all baked in a pie." These Blackbirds, also the Thrushes which move later, do not appear to congregate into flocks on departing, but gradually thin off and disappear from their temporary retreats as the spirit moves them. This, however, is not the case with the northern Thrushes—Fieldfares and Redwings. ”

“ The spring movements, or the passing out, of birds such as winter in these islands, as all observers on the east coast are aware, is far less in evidence than are those great and continuous inrushes in the autumn, extending over days, weeks, and months, and arresting attention by their very magnitude and persistence. In the vernal movement, or emigration, there is rarely anything to attract notice, for it seldom happens that flights of birds are seen actually leaving the shore ”

“ It is remarkable, considering the millions of Larks which for weeks and months pour on to the east coast in autumn from early in August to Christmas, so little is known of their emigration. Such, however, is the case; they succeed in slipping off quietly and unobserved, and probably, as in autumn, in straggling companies, and at night. Larks, however, do not always adopt open order on their migrations, and I have known them, under certain meteorological conditions, approach the coast in densely packed flocks like clouds, and hundreds of yards in extent. ”

“ When running up the coast a few pairs of Grey-lag Geese were seen, also a considerable flock, presumably of this species, on a low grassy holm, before coming to the mountain peaks known as the "Seven Sisters of Alstenö." The Merganser was common in the land-locked sounds and fjords, sometimes with a string of downy mites inclose company; the Goosander I failed to identify. Ducks innumerable of many species and with crowds of young. From the deck of a steamer it was impossible to identify them, the males, too, being generally in the "eclipse" plumage. ”

“ Their going out is a long and protracted business, often not completed, although it begins early, before the middle or end of May. Redwings—most plentiful during this winter—are in a degree less gregarious, but they have much the same habits as their congeners, and leave at the same period as do the emigrating Thrushes (T. musicus) , and they make a much more rapid and complete work of it than the Fieldfares, for we shall not find a Redwing after March, or middle of April at the latest, in the park-lands, paddocks, or meadows bordering the streams, where they have been hopping all the winter. ”

“ Much amusement was afforded on board the 'Neptune' by watching these pirates chasing and bullying their neighbours, descending swiftly and striking the unfortunate victim on the back till he had paid toll by disgorging his honestly-earned meal. ”

“ For many of them I am indebted to the letters of correspondents, some of whom, although not perhaps practical ornithologists, have yet a very considerable knowledge of our common autumn visitants, a knowledge acquired under the peculiar circumstances of their life, which is a very watchful and observant one,—the guardianship and care of lighthouses overlooking the stormy waters of the great North Sea,—and rarely do we find a finer and more intelligent body of men than those employed in this important and trustful service. ”

“ Saxby ('Birds of Shetland,' p. 65) says, "In autumn we are generally visited by females, each accompanied by two or more young birds." ↑ I have not seen this bird: my informant, the Principal of the lighthouse, may have been mistaken. So-called Fire-crests captured on this coast I have invariably found to be old male Gold-crests. ”

“ That great movements are in progress is suggested by the larger flights of various species which in the early spring congregate in the coast districts—here one day and gone the next—and having their places taken by other flocks presumably coming from more inland localities, all bent on leaving the country; for it is now a proved fact that, as a rule, birds emigrate from the same section of coast as witnessed their immigration, only in the reverse direction. ”

“ Of the smaller birds I found on the tundra north of Vadso and about the whaling station in the Jarfjord, Lapp Buntings, Bluethroats, Red-throated Pipits, White Wagtails, besides the Pipits already noticed by me in 'The Zoologist' (1896) , p. 352. I saw the Hedgesparrow on the outskirts of Vadsö, great numbers of House Martins, but have no recollection of seeing any Swallow there, nor the common Sparrow. I never saw a Rook anywhere in Norway north of Bergen. The Willow Wren was common. ”

“ Tens of thousands, however, of the foreign purple-headed birds continue each afternoon to fly over the grounds to roost in a blackthorn cover in the marsh. They are late emigrants, and will probably not altogether disappear before April is well on. ”

“ At Spurn they arrived about the 16th and 17th. At Flamborough, on October 20th, one pair of Golden-crested Wrens, male and female, accompanied by one Fire-crested Wren, [2] a male, struck the glass of the lighthouse between ten and eleven o'clock at night; weather very cold and much rain; wind S.E. At the Hartlepool Lighthouse the most frequent bird coming against the glass in October was this species; wind blowing fresh from the N.E. and S.E.; direction of flight always westerly. ”

“ January.
3rd.— A large number of small birds flying round the lantern; three or four Larks caught. Weather foggy with southerly light airs.
14th.—One Golden Plover and several Knots struck the lantern and killed between two and six o'clock a.m. The weather very clear but dark with a drizzling rain and a moderate breeze from S. and S.E.
February.
7th.— One Knot killed. Weather foggy; wind W.S.W.
13th.—Caught a Snow Bunting against lantern. Overcast and dark; wind light W.
15th.—One cock Blackbird and twelve Starlings. Overcast, but clear; wind E.
March. ”

“ March.
30th.—One Lapwing, one Grey Plover, one Little Grebe, two Larks, one Fieldfare, and several Chaffinches struck and were killed. Wind W.N.W., overcast, and drizzling rain.
April.
18th.—The Ringed Plovers are breeding; several nests have from one to two eggs. ”

“ Sanderling killed. W.S.W. (2) , overcast.
15th.—The same. {{dhr}
March.
11th.—Starlings and Larks striking lantern. S.E. (3) , overcast.
13th, 1 until 2.30 a.m.—Starlings, Curlews, Lapwings, and Sanderlings around light. Overcast, misty.
16th.—Starlings and Larks around light.
17th.—The same.
22nd, 1 to 3 a.m.—Starlings and Larks striking.
24th, 4 a.m.—A few Starlings flying round; Gold-crested Wren struck and killed.
Mr. Thomas O. Hall sends the following notes from Flamborough Lighthouse: — "We had a very straggling migration of Rooks and Jackdaws; they commenced on Oct. ”