Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1883. Fifth Report

by J. A. Harvie-Brown; Richard Manliffe Barrington; John Cordeaux; Alexander Goodman More

Schedules were sent to thirty-four stations, as in previous years. We have received filled schedules from seventeen stations.

Generally the returns are very light, still lighter than last year.

We have notes on about thirty-nine species of land birds from this coast; about twenty species of water birds; and about eight species of littoral species, or wading birds.

The spring migration, for sake of uniformity with the East Coast, I have kept separate. Weather notes are included in the General Remarks.

List of Stations.

East Coast of Scotland.
'79,	'80,	'81,	'82.	'83.
*	*	*			81.	Cape Wrath, Sutherland	400	ft.
*	*	*		*	82.	Rhu Stoir, "	195	"	Wm. Wither Outer Hebrides.
*	*	*	*	*	83.	Butt of Lewis	170	"	A. Thompson
	*	*		*	84.	Stornoway	56	"	John Grierson
*	*	*			85.	Island Glass	130	"
*	*	*	*	*	86.	Monach Isles	{ 150 " } 62 "		J. Youngclause
	*	*			87.	Ushenish	176	"
				*	88.	Barra Head	683	"	Wm. Irvine
Mainland, Skye, and Inner Hebrides.
					89.	Rona, Skye	222	"
	*	*	*	*	90.	Kyleakin, Rosshire	53	"	D. M'Culloch
	*	*			91.	Isle Ornsay, Skye	58	"
*	*				92.	Ardnamurchan Pt. Argyl.	180	"
*	*	*	*	*	{ 93. Hynish Signal Tower, Tyree } 94. Skerryvore, off Tyree		150	"	Wm. Crow
*	*	*	*	*	95.	Dhuheartach, S. of Ross of Mull	145	"	Jas. Ewing
*	*	*	*	*	96.	Sound of Mull	55	"	W. M'Lellan
					97.	Corran Ferry, Loch Eil	38	"
	*	*	*	*	98.	Lismore Island, Oban	103	"	Alex. Murray
*	*				99.	Fladda, Easdale	42	"
*	*	*			100.	Rhuvaal, Islay	147	"
	*	*	*	*	101.	M'Arthur's Head, Islay	128	"	W. Maill
*	*	*	*	*	102.	Skervuile, Jura	73	"	John Ewing
*	*	*	*	*	103.	Rhinns of Islay	159	"	Andrew Lyall
*	*				104.	Lochindaul	50	"
					105.	Mull of Kintyre	297	"
					107.	Devaar, Kintyre	120	"
					108.	Pladda, Arran	130	"
		*		*	109.	Lamlash, Arran	46	"	David Waters
	*	*			110.	Turnberry, Ayrshire	96	"
*	*	*		*	111.	Corsewall, Wigtonshire	112	"	Robt. Laidlaw
*	*	*	*	*	112.	Loch Ryan, "	46	"	Ralph Ewing
*	*	*	*	*	113.	Portpatrick, "	37	"	James Begg
*	*	*	*		114.	Mull of Galloway "	325	"
		*			115.	Little Ross, Kircudbright	175	"
					116.
					117.
					118.
					119.	[1880]
					120.

General Remarks by Reporters.

Mr. James Youngclause, Monach lighthouse, says:—"I am sorry to have such a meagre report to send you, but birds have been awfully scarce here for some years back, and I have sent you records of all that I have seen."

I am obliged to Mr. William Irvine for the first report I have received from Barra Head, which, however, is a station which can hardly be expected to give large returns, owing to its position and great height above the sea. A daily record here for a few seasons of the movements of Gannets and rock-birds might prove of considerable interest, such as daily hours of going to and from their feeding-grounds. Such might be found also interesting to fisherfolk.

Mr. James Ewing, of Dhuheartach, says of the spring migration and the long-continued east winds:—"A few Larks in March, and some Stonechats in the first days of April, are all that we have seen of the spring migration. I am convinced that a change of wind happening during the migratory season tends more to lead the birds astray than strong breezes. It will be interesting to note if there is any increase during this autumn, as our light, which was red towards Mull, has been changed to a white occulting light."