| PAGE | |
| East Coast of Scotland | [1] |
| East Coast of England | [27] |
| West Coast of Scotland | [55] |
| Irish Coast | [73] |
FOURTH REPORT:
ON
THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS
IN THE
SPRING AND AUTUMN OF 1882.
EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND, &c.
Faroe.—From Faroe, thanks to Herr Müller, we have the following Report:—In spring one Recurvirostra avocetta was seen on May 30th, and two Arctic Terns on same day; wind W., and sunshine. Of Anatidæ, Œdemia nigra occurred on May 15th at Strómó, and two, male and female, on 27th at same place. Two also, male and female, seen at same place in the plumage of the second year at Kalbat, Strómó, on June 2nd. In autumn,—i.e., taking certain occurrences after the middle of June as "autumn manœuvres,"—of Turdidæ, six or more Fieldfares were killed or seen at Thorshavn on Dec. 7th, easterly breezes having prevailed. Of Phylloscopinæ, a rush of Regulus cristatus appears to have taken place on Oct. 21st, as many were seen at Thorshavn and elsewhere, and dead ones brought to Herr Müller. One dead Robin was brought from Kollefjord, and several more had been seen on the same date. One Caprimulgus europæus was sent from Gauredal on June 16th. Loxia curvirostra appeared round Thorshavn for several days, and are recorded on June 29th, and again on July 9th, on which latter date those killed with stones at Tofle were in good condition. One Common Swift was caught on board a fishing-smack midway between Iceland and Faroe, also on June 29th. One White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, appeared with N. wind on July 30th. One female Roller, Coracias garrula, was shot at Thorshavn on July 22nd, wind E., and one Pomatorhine Skua was seen on July 25th. One Woodcock was shot in Vaagó, Suderó, during a S.E. storm, in clear weather; and of Cygnidæ, in all eleven—4 and 7—Wild Swans flew past high in air from N.W. to S.E. on Nov. 5th. On Nov. 4th was N.E. wind, but on 5th N.W. and W. and showery. The prevailing winds at the Faroe Isles were easterly; in October, from the 7th to the end of the month, steady easterly and S.E.
The ordinary papers, &c., were sent to thirty stations on the East Coast of Scotland, Faroe, and Iceland, as was done in 1881.
Twelve stations on this coast have returned filled-in schedules,—the same number as in 1881,—out of the twenty-six East Scotch stations. As formerly, many returns are light, but those from Isle of May, Pentland Skerries, and Sumburgh Head are fuller than before, again indicating favourite highway's of migration. Bell Rock returns are also very full, but not so full as Isle of May nor Pentland Skerries. From Isle of May alone I have no less than nineteen schedules, and I have also to thank Mr. Agnew for a jar of forty-three specimens of birds, besides others sent me in the flesh or carbolised. At another time I intend to write more fully concerning the birds of the Isle of May, which is a locality of special interest to the student of migration.[1] From the Pentland Skerries I have nine filled-in schedules, and from Sumburgh Head four; from the Bell Rock three closely-filled schedules.
[1] I intend to present the collection of birds formed on the Isle of May to that station, to lie there in the skin, and serve both to identify birds in future and to be of interest to visitors who annually visit the Isle of May.
Here follows the usual list of stations issued with each Report on the same plan as before, the dates of years upon which the various stations have sent in Reports being shown by asterisks.
Our thanks are especially due to those observers who have noted, as far as possible, the directions of flight of the birds noticed. If this were done at all the stations returning schedules it would in a marked degree assist our generalisations.