Redstart, Ruticilla phœnicurus (Linn.).—Spring: Inner Farne L.H., April 22nd and 23rd, some with Wheatears. Autumn: Spurn, Sept. 7th, one. Longstone L.H., 14th, N.E., 5 p.m., on rocks. Yarmouth, 22nd, a few; and from Oct. 7th to 13th a few from the Farne Islands southward to Spurn. Have been comparatively scarce compared with the large numbers which accompanied the Wheatears on their southward migration up the coast in the autumns of 1880 and 1881. Across Heligoland from Aug. 10th to first week in October; on the 5th, great many, with Wheatears, wind E., fresh.
Blackstart, R. titys (Scop.).—Heligoland, March 13th to 14th, one; 17th, eight to ten; and to April 8th, daily, some. Autumn: Spurn, Oct. 29th, one, adult female; stomach contained remains of Coleoptera, entire ants, and two large seeds. Migrates earlier in the spring and later in the autumn than the Redstart.
Red-spotted Bluethroat, Cyanecula suecica (Linn.).—Heligoland, Sept. 16th, E.N.E., in great numbers, with Redstarts, Goldcrests, Wheatears, &c.; 20th, S.E., fresh, many; 23rd, very numerous. At Spurn, Sept. 11th, two immature, one obtained. It appears yet to be an open question with ornithologists whether the young of suecica are distinguishable from those of leucocyana in the plumage of the first year; the Spurn bird therefore may be an example of the Central European form, the White-spotted Bluethroat.
Redbreast, Erithacus rubecula (Linn.).—Spring: Heligoland, March 13th and 14th, several; April 8th, 22nd and 23rd, some. Autumn: across island, from Sept. 8th, N., calm, overcast, through October, in large numbers; great rush, Oct. 17th, 18th and 19th; again on 27th and 28th. At Orfordness and Languard Point lighthouses and Ship wash L.V., on Sept. 20th, and from Oct. 6th to 25th between the Longstone L.H. and East Goodwin L.V., in great numbers. Great rush Oct. 8th, and again night of 13th at many stations and in large numbers. At the Galloper L.V., on 6th, with Wrens.
Sylviinæ.—Whitethroat, Sylvia cinerea (Linn.), Hanois L.H., April 16th, 3 a.m., some killed. Heligoland, April 22nd and 23rd, S.S.E. and S., some. Spurn L.H., May 7th, 11 p.m., misty, rain, one killed. Cromer L.H., June 17th, 9.50 p.m., 6 a.m., two and a Wren killed. Autumn: Cromer L.H., July 18th, 3 a.m., S.W., seven stunned. During September and first week in October at several stations during night. Blackcap, S. atricapilla (Linn.), Heligoland, April 23rd, some; 28th, many. Lesser Whitethroat, S. curruca (Linn.), also some. Heligoland, in the autumn. Whitethroats on Aug. 6th, and through September in great numbers to Oct. 7th. Garden Warbler from Aug. 19th to end of September. Blackcap as late as Oct. 27th.
Golden-crested Wren, Regulus cristatus, Koch.—Spring, 1882: Heligoland, March 13th and 14th, several, and on to April 12th. Autumn: the autumn of 1882 will be long remembered amongst ornithologists from the extraordinary immigration of Goldcrests on to the east coasts of Scotland and England. On the east coast of England the migration extended over ninety-two days, commencing Aug. 6th. Cromer L.H., midnight, two stunned against lantern, and a week later at Redcar, Aug. 13th, wind S.W., forty to fifty, at 8 a.m., seen on the breakwater, and forward, at many stations and in immense numbers, to Nov. 5th, Cockle L.V., 5 a.m., one caught against glass. They arrived somewhat sparingly in August and through September, and day after day in enormous numbers in October; in this month they are recorded at twenty-one stations between the Farne Islands and the Hanois L.H., off Guernsey. There appear to have been two great rushes, one on the night of Oct. 7th and morning of 8th, and again on night of 12th and morning of 13th, the latter with the Woodcock.[6] Many also are likewise reported during the month to have alighted on fishing-boats, steam-vessels, &c., in the North Sea. At Heligoland, on Oct. 8th, all the island swarmed with them; they had also been exceedingly numerous there from Sept. 8th, continuing also to arrive and depart throughout October, and on the night from 28th to 29th Mr. Gätke remarks, "a perfect storm of Goldcrests we have had,—poor little souls!—perching on the ledges of the window-panes of the lantern of our lighthouse, preening their feathers in the glare of the lamps; on the 29th all the island swarmed with them, filling the gardens everywhere, and over all the cliff—hundreds of thousands; by 9 a.m. most of them had passed on again." On English coast, Farne Inner L.H., Oct. 8th, "never remember seeing so many at one time." Whitby L.H., 8th and 12th, "great rush." Flamborough, 7th to 14th, "never more seen." Spurn, 7th to 8th, "in turnip-fields, hedges, and everywhere, never more seen." Great Cotes, 8th, great many everywhere, and even on the piles of timber on the dock-quays and timber-yards at Grimsby. Dudgeon L.V., 12th, "flock to W." Cromer L.H., 10th and 12th, latter night "large flocks," and at other stations, too numerous to detail, in large numbers. General direction E. to W., and E.S.E. to W.N.W., winds easterly over North Sea nights of 7th and 12th, with fogs and drizzling rain on latter night. These small wanderers reached the land in a very exhausted state, and great numbers are supposed to have perished in mid-passage.
[6] At this date the stream of Goldcrests extended quite across England, the Irish Channel, and into Ireland.
It is curious that the Fire-crested Wren, R. ignicapillus (C. L. Brehm), has not been observed at Heligoland during the autumn, although generally it is tolerably numerous.
At the Newarp L.V., in March and April, 1883, an immense migration of various birds was observed almost day by day; amongst those on April 14th three Golden-crested Wrens going eastward.
Phylloscopinæ.—Spring: East Yorkshire, Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita (Vieill.), March 13th. Willow Wren, P. trochilus (Linn.), Heligoland, April 22nd and 23rd, some. Autumn: Spurn and East Lincolnshire, first week in September, many; latest. Spurn, Oct. 25th. Chiffchaff also at Spurn on 29th. Heligoland, Willow Wren, Aug. 15th, some, and forward in great numbers to Oct. 19th. Chiffchaff, Sept. 21st, and a great number at intervals to Oct. 27th. Wood Wren, P. sibilatrix (Bechst.), Oct. 27th, one. Yellow-browed Warbler, P. superciliosus (Gm.), Oct. 23rd, W., one; 27th, S.W., one seen.