nOTES 



BIRDS MIGRATING NORTHWARDS IN OCTOBER. 



Under the above heading Mr. J. H. Gurney in the November 

 number of British Birds (p. 143), records a large migration 

 of birds taking place over the parishes of Northrepps, 

 Overstrand, and Cromer in Norfolk, on the morning of 

 October 7th. Mr. Gurney states that the birds taking part 

 in this movement were Lapwings, Gulls, Starlings, Redwings, 

 Sky-Larks, and Finches, and that the direction of their 

 flight was N. or N.N.W. 



Now Cromer and Overstrand are villages upon the coast 

 facing as nearly as possible N.E., so that if these birds were 

 flying due north, they would have been going out to sea. 

 Mr. Gurney, however, does not mention that they were 

 doing this, and as lower down, in referring to a similar move- 

 ment seen by Mr. Caton Haigh upon the coast of Lincohishire, 

 he says, " it seems evident therefore that the migrants were 

 following the coast-line and made no attempt to cross the 

 North Sea," I conclude that these birds were following the 

 coast of Norfolk in a north-westerly direction. 



Mr. Gurney attributes what he describes as this unusual 

 direction to a light northerly wind, and adds, " one does 

 not expect to see migrants going north in October without 

 a reason." With very great respect to Mr. Gurney, whose 

 opinion upon any ornithological matter must always be 

 one of very great value, I should like to say that, according 

 to my observations, this is a normal and much used line 

 of flight for certain birds (and amongst them those mentioned 

 by Mr. Gurney) during the late autumn migration upon 

 the Norfolk coast, and that the direction of the wind has 

 little, if any, bearing upon it. A northerly coasting move- 

 ment of Sky-Larks takes place regularly upon the coast 

 during the early mornmgs of October, and seems to be mi- 

 affected by the direction of the wind. I have numerous 

 entries in my diary of Starlings coasting in the same direction 

 during the early mornings, usually flying high. To take 

 another species, and referring to my diary for the last 

 fortnight, I find that Rooks were following the coast-line 

 N.W. past Mundesley during the mornings of October 31st, 

 November 1st, November 6th, November 7th, and November 

 8th, the direction of the wind on these days being E.S.E., 

 S.E.. S.W., S.W., and W. 



