( 226 ) 



NOTES ON MIGRATION AT DUNGENESS, KENT, 

 AUTUMN 1914. 



BY 



H. G. ALEXANDER. 



I WAS at Dungeness from October 15th to November 5th, 

 1914. Apart from a few observations on birds whose 

 occurrence was sufficiently unusual to deserve special 

 record, it may be interesting to give a short account 

 of the chief migratory movements seen during the 

 three weeks. I was usually observing for an hour 

 or less before 8 a.m., from about 10.0 to 12.0, and 

 again from 3.0 to 4.0, or for a short time before sunset. 

 I was not often more than a mile from Dungeness Point. 

 It is important to bear in mind that the coast runs a 

 trifle north of west from Dungeness towards Rye, and 

 a trifle west of north towards Littlestone. 



In general, the immigration of birds took place soon 

 after dawn and in the late afternoon ; but a few 

 immigrants were liable to appear at any time of day. 

 Skylarks and Starlings came across the sea in numbers, 

 and I saw a good many Chaffinches in the first week 

 and a few Swallows, Greenfinches, Linnets, Meadow- 

 Pipits and Pied Wagtails from time to time. All were 

 flying east or north of east, some almost due north. 

 They arrived on various parts of the coast, but I think 

 mostly quite near the point. The large flocks seen in 

 the early morning and less frequently in the late 

 afternoon showed no signs of fatigue, but I saw 

 single Finches at various times of day that dropped 

 on to the shingle the moment they arrived. 



The emigration, chiefly of Finches, was far more 

 striking. Day after day flocks of small birds — Linnets, 

 Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Redpolls, Wagtails, Pipits, 

 Swallows and less frequently Skylarks, House- and Tree- 

 Sparrows, Bramblings, Siskins and Martins — came flying 

 over the shingle in the first few hours of daylight. The 

 strength of the wind seemed to affect their numbers, but 

 although the wind was often disagreeably strong, I only 

 once or twice observed no early morning departure. 



