"On the 16th, a large flock of Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, and Rooks (the Books have been very rare during the winter) flew over towards the N.E.; the passing over lasted ten minutes. On many other days later have I also seen small parties of 'Corvidæ' hurrying N.E.
"On March 18th, I saw a Black-Headed Bunting; on the 19th, White and Pied Wagtails arrived. Now the Pied have left, and quantities of the White remain and have begun to build.
"On the 23d, an extraordinary migration of Cranes began, and is going on at intervals now; they are usually flying in a N. or N.E. direction, but yesterday I saw three flying S.E., which has much confused me. On the 23d, a flock settled in the fields near here for a short time. Soon after this flock had gone, no less than nine flights, of from forty to one hundred birds in each flock, flew over at intervals.
"Curiously enough Robins and Thrushes are only summer migrants here; they arrived on the 24th.
"I heard the Chiffchaff on March 25th; and on the same day was another great migration of Cranes.
"On October 15th was the great rush of migratory birds, parties of various sorts continually passing the whole day to the S.W."
List of Wings sent in from Lighthouses and Light-vessels,
East Coast of England.
| Station. | Date. 1886. | Species. | |
| Leman and Ower L.V. | Jan. | 23. | Snow Bunting. |
| " " | April | 25. | Wheatear. |
| " " | May | 13. | Whinchat. |
| " " | " | 23. | Wheatear. |
| " " | " | 24. | Sedge Warbler. |
| " " | " | 23. | Turtle Dove. |
| " " | June | 1. | Wheatear. |
| " " | " | 18. | Oystercatcher. |
| Shipwash L.V. | May | 18. | Two Grey Plover. |
| " " | " | 18. | Yellow Hammer. |
| " " | " | 18. | Wheatear. |
| Swin Middle L.V. | Sept. | 26. | Cuckoo, young. |
| Nore L.V. | Oct. | 4. | Redwing. |
| Spurn L.H. | " | 8. | Little Grebe, bird sent. |
| " " | " | 26. | Guillemot. |
| Shipwash L.V. | " | 22. | Quail. |
| " " | " | 22. | Goldcrest. |
| Llyn Wells L.V. | Nov. | 1. | Two Water Rails. |
| Coquet L.H. | " | 17. | Long-tailed Duck. |
| " " | " | 4. | Water Rail. |
| " " | Oct. | 5. | Sedge Warbler. |
| Hasbro' L.V. | Aug. | 27. | Red-backed Shrike. |
| " " | Sept. | 3. | Rock Pipit. |
| " " | " | 19. | Redstart. |
| " " | Oct. | 31. | Stormy Petrel. |
| " " | Nov. | 12. | Fieldfare. |
| Spurn L.V. | " | 1. | Water Rail. |
| South Sand Head L.V. | Oct. | 5, 6. | Chaffinch. |
| Leman and Ower L.V. | Dec. | 29. | Little Grebe. |
| 1887. | |||
| " " | Jan. | 18. | Tree Sparrow. |
| " " | " | 24. | Rock Pipit. |
| " " | " | 25. | Robin. |
| Shipwash L.V. | Feb. | 13. | Knot. |
| " " | April | 12. | Woodcock. |
General Remarks.
As in 1885, the main body of immigrants crossed in two great rushes, corresponding with the first and third weeks in October. This was considerably earlier than the chief general movements of the preceding year. The meteorological conditions of the first period were easterly and south-easterly winds, pressure system cyclonic, accompanied by much fog and thick weather. During the second period the pressure system again mainly cyclonic, but with very variable winds.