THE MIC4 RATIONS (W TUV T^APWING 249 



with Wheatears, Mistle-Thrushes, Fieldfares, Black- 

 birds, Chiffchaffs, Willow-Warblers, Redstarts, Skylarks, 

 Starlings, and other species. The chief of these cross- 

 Channel return movements were witnessed during the 

 earliest hours of the morning, and the Eddystone is one 

 of the main stations for their observation. 



Spring Rctn7'n to h'eland. — Late in February, 

 during March, and sometimes early in April, Lapwings 

 are observed during the daytime arriving from the 

 south-east and passing north-west at the light-stations 

 off the Wexford coast. There is no special reason for 

 regarding these as passage movements, and, taken to- 

 gether with the facts (i) that they are not observed 

 proceeding along the eastern coastline northwards, and 

 (2) that during winter Lapwings are recorded as passing 

 southwards on the extreme southern sections of both 

 coastlines, it is not improbable that some of these birds 

 quit Ireland under the pressure of climatic conditions 

 and return in the spring. 



Spring Eniigration and Passage Northward to 

 Northern Europe. — The spring movement northward 

 to Continental breeding - haunts is one of the best- 

 observed phases in the ordinary seasonal migrations 

 of the Lapwing. It is witnessed on both the east 

 and west coasts and at the northern islands. 



The spring emigratory movements from the mainland 

 begin with the departures from their winter quarters 

 of Lapwings returning to their nesting-haunts in the 

 Orkneys and Shetlands. In some years many have 

 been observed during March, but these early migrations 

 are dependent upon the genial nature of the season. In 

 March the local British migrations, if we may so term 

 them (for the birds are returning to a remote part of the 



