BIRD-LIFE AS OBSERVED AT SKERRYVORE LIGHTHOUSE 23 



Thrush, and one Yellow-Browed Warbler. Redshanks and 

 Golden Plovers were heard but not seen. 



On 2ist Oct. there was a great rush of Redwings, Field- 

 fares Blackbirds, and Thrushes, with a few Starlings. The 

 wind was S.E., strong breeze, almost a gale, haze and rain. 

 From 7 P.M. till dawn the following morning their numbers 

 were far in excess of anything seen here for years. They 

 were striking the windows constantly, and the number killed 

 that night was almost beyond calculation. As the wind was 

 strong, nearly every one as it struck was carried away, falling 

 in the sea, a small percentage only falling and remaining on 

 the balcony. Yet in the morning we picked up ninety-eight 

 dead on the gallery. Watching them from the lee side of 

 the lantern, from 10 P.M. to midnight there seemed a constant 

 fall of dead and maimed. The only way I can give an idea 

 of the number of fatalities is this : from the focus of the 

 light till all was lost in darkness, a distance of 20 to 30 ft. 

 down, the eye could always detect three falling, sometimes 

 more, but I consider this a fair average Were I to go 

 more minutely into this I might lay myself open to criticism, 

 and some might be inclined to doubt my statements. Some- 

 times we use the terms hundreds and thousands without 

 thinking what these figures mean, but on this occasion when 

 I say thousands were killed I do not exaggerate in the 

 slightest. Unfortunately, that night there was a very heavy 

 sea washing right over the rock, so that not a single specimen 

 was left around the base of the tower. Taking the strength 



o o 



of the wind into consideration, and from observation, I am 

 inclined to say that the number falling on the balcony formed 

 about i per cent of the death-roll. The rush consisted mainly 

 of Fieldfares and Redwings, with a few Thrushes, Blackbirds, 

 and Starlings. The following night, though the weather 

 conditions were the same, only about a dozen were seen. 



Another great rush took place on loth Nov. wind S.E., 

 fresh breeze, rain but on this occasion very few were killed. 

 They were first observed at 10 P.M., and by midnight vast 

 crowds were circling round, consisting chiefly of Fieldfares 

 and Redwings, a few Thrushes and Blackbirds, and one 

 Starling. Whether these birds come down by the Outer 

 Islands, or are blown out of their course by easterly winds, 



