Vol. IV.~| Lighthouses and Bird Observations. 6 X 



I004 \ ^ ■ >~f 



1904 



Lighthouses and Bird Observations. 



About twenty years ago the Zoological Society (Melbourne) 

 distributed to the light-keepers on the Victorian coast schedules 

 to record data regarding the movements of birds, chiefly those 

 that struck the glass of the lantern. 



The data collected were scant and meagre, such as, for instance : — 

 " Queenscliff, 30/10/85, 7.50 p.m. — Stormy-Petrel struck lantern, 

 not killed; weather overcast." "Cape Nelson, 6/10/85, 11.25 

 p.m. — Parrakeet struck lantern ; weather dull." " Wilson's 

 Promontory, 25/3/85, 1.30 a.m. — Sparrow-Hawk struck 

 lantern, killed; weather misty." " Clift'y Island, 18/11/85, 

 10 p.m. — Several Mutton-Birds struck light, one killed ; 

 weather misty." " Gabo Island, 9/10/85, 4.30 a.m. — Two 

 Plovers struck light ; weather very hazy." 



Mr. W. E. Cordell, formerly for many years in the Department 

 of Ports and Harbours, Victoria, has kindly furnished some 

 reminiscent remarks on the subject. He states : — " I have come 

 to the conclusion that migratory birds do not follow the coast 

 line. If they do then they fly very high and by night. I am 

 led to believe this by the small number of birds that have struck 

 the various lights where I have been stationed. At Gabo Island, 

 where I was for six years, the number was exceedingly small, 

 and on no occasion was a body recovered. The lighthouse 

 is built on an extreme point of land, and as the birds usually 

 struck in stormy weather they were carried into the sea. At 

 the Eastern Light, South Channel, Port Phillip, I was never 

 troubled with birds. At Cape Otway I can only remember one 

 instance of recovering a bird that had struck the light, and it 

 was not a migratory one. But I have had Parrakeets in numbers 

 sitting on the handrail for hours at a time, at night." 



During the last twenty years ornithology, particularly field 

 work, in a general way has made rapid strides, and it has occurred 

 to the Australian Ornithologists' Union that the ever-watchful 

 light-keepers might again be approached with regard to recording 

 observations respecting birds, especially migratory ones. Handy 

 schedules have been printed, with concise instructions, and have 

 been kindly distributed in batches to all Australian lighthouses 

 through the goodness of the various State Harbour or Marine 

 Departments. Indeed, the Union's schedules have already 

 reached extra-Australian parts, notably New Zealand and some 

 of the Austro-Malayan localities. 



The first acknowledgments of the schedules have come from 

 Tasmania, through Mr. J. Adams, Secretary Marine Board, 

 Hobart, with encouraging remarks and a willingness on the 

 part of the light-keepers to meet the Union's wishes. 



Mr. E. Neilson, Superintendent, Table Cape, writes : — " During 

 the seven years I have been at this station the only time that 

 birds come about the lantern at night is during the latter part 

 of summer, when some come in foggy or misty weather. They 



