Swift.—At Ushenish, North Uist,[17] June 13th, 1 p.m., five Swifts seen flying south, with S. wind, and haze.
[17] Though this dates early, I cannot but assign it here, and not to a spring movement.
Note.—Mr. R. Service notes the species as unusually abundant in 1880. He observed a large flock of Swifts on Aug. 4th, proceeding in a southerly direction. The most of the local birds, however, still remained on the 11th.
Swallows, Hirundinidæ.—Swallows were no longer seen after July 16th, at the Point of Ayre, Isle of Man, on which day twenty young were noticed, until again on Aug. 15th, when eight were seen flying about. At Turnberry, from thirty to forty were seen during the daytime on Aug. 26th, in light E. airs; and again fifty to sixty on Aug. 31st, and forty to fifty on Sept. 2nd. Numbers were also seen at Mull of Galloway and at Loch Ryan. Swallows collected on Oct. 4th and flew away S.W., whilst at Portpatrick great numbers were seen resting and then flying off S. on Oct. 15th. This S.W. corner of Scotland appears to be a point of departure of the species, and of several others; and I would invite special attention at stations all along the Wigton coast-line.[18] All the above observations on the autumn movements of Swallows were made during the daytime, and in light E. to N.E. winds. A rush appears to have taken place end of August and beginning of September, and a later one as late as the middle of October.
[18] See R. Gray and Thos. Anderson's 'Birds of Ayrshire and Wigtonshire,' p. 5.
Note.—In 1879 the most northerly station was Ardnamurchan, and the appearance of Swallows much more general. The earliest record in 1879 of autumn migration was on July 29th, and the latest Sept. 25th, as against this year, July 16th and Oct. 15th. Careful attention to the collecting of migrants at these Wigton headlands would surely result in some interesting data. Mr. Robert Service writes me that all the headlands, also along the Stewartry coast-line, are gathering-places for the land-birds before proceeding southward. At daybreak, in September or October, Mr. Service has often watched departing flights of birds going off southward or seaward, over the Solway Firth. Large congregations of Swallows were observed by me at Kinross on telegraph wires on Aug. 3rd, and I was told that they congregate in the same place every autumn before leaving. There must have been many hundreds.
The following really belongs to the East Coast Report, and comes in under Mr. Hardy's notes from Berwickshire and the Borders:—Mr. Hardy has abundant evidence of the departure of Swallows in the border counties. He writes to me as follows:—"Old Cambus, Oct. 28th.—On Sept. 25th and 26th Swallows were here, and a pair of Martins were then on the coast, seven having been seen on the 26th. The main party assembled on the coast on the 21st and 22nd, and were not again visible, excepting this small party. I went down to the cave where the nests were, and evidently they were feeding young birds there. On the 30th they had not left a steading about a mile above Gilsland. They were present on Oct. 2nd and 3rd near Rosely Castle, eight miles south of Carlisle. On the 4th they were assembling on the roof of the Mansion House of Marchmont, Berwickshire, in great numbers, during snow and sleet. The 'Kelso Chronicle' of Oct. 15th says, 'Swallows were absent three weeks from Kelso, but again, in Kelso and the country round, their presence that week had been conspicuous. They had assembled in flocks.' The same paper of Oct. 22nd states that, 'On Oct. 17th a good many Swallows were flying about Jedburgh.' At Brampton, Cumberland, they were seen on Oct. 16th, 'circling round the church for several days previous.' On Sept. 22nd, Swallows still at Horsley, in the valley of the Eye, and a Martin still had young in a nest in the corner of a window."
Besides the above, it is worth while to take notice of an account of migration that appeared in an early volume of the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' relating to the South-west district of Scotland:—"An extract of a letter from Capt. Fayrer, C.M.Z.S., was read. It was dated on board H. M.'s Packet 'Arrow,' Port Patrick, Oct. 23rd, 1831, and referred to the migration of certain birds from that neighbourhood. That of the Larks commenced about Oct. 12th. 'Their numbers,' says Capt. Fayrer, 'are beyond anything I would venture to state, but millions They start at daylight, steer directly across to the Capelona Islands, off Belfast Loch, and seem to prefer the wind directly against them. Very large flocks of Starlings have arrived within the last few days; they start before sunrise, but steer to the southward. The Lapwings have also arrived, but these birds do not take their flight till day has set well in; they appear to go directly across. I see all these birds at each end of their passage (twenty-one miles), and few, I think, perish." (P.Z.S., 1831, p. 145.)
Wren.—Returns from Skerryvore, Dhuheartach, Skervuile, and Turnberry. The earliest date available was at Dhuheartach, Aug. 18th, when one was seen flying S. at noon, during light S.W. wind and haze. None are again reported until Oct. 1st, when "Wrens" were seen mixed with Larks and Thrushes; winds variable, light, and haze. Then at Skerryvore, Oct. 9th, one flying about at 11 a.m., light N.E. breeze, clear; and at Turnberry, Oct. 12th, one struck the lantern at midnight, wind light N.E. airs. In the autumn migration of 1879 (q. v., loc. cit.) records came from Monach Island and Dhuheartach. Earliest Aug. 17th, latest Dec. 9th.
Goldcrest.—At Turnberry, Sept. 24th, 3 a.m., one struck, but was not killed, wind light S., and haze; and at Corsewall, Sept. 27th till 30th, there appears to have been a migration. On 27th, two were seen to strike the lantern at 2 a.m., in fresh south breeze and haze; on 28th, two also struck in clear weather, light S. breeze; and on 30th, eight remained around the lights from 8 p.m. till daylight, wind light S.E., and haze. From the Mull of Galloway, the negative note is given, "None seen this year." In 1879, numbers were reported (see Report, 1879) at Mull of Galloway on July 18th—only date.