ON BIRD MIGRATION. 



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The following are the dates of the chief immigrations recorded during 

 the years 1880-1887 :— 



1880. October 21-28. Latest, November I84 



1881. October 19. 



1882. October 15-16, 18-19. 



1883. October 19, 28-30. November 1-2, 8. 



1884. October 24, 29. November 2, 4, 12. 



1885. October 14, 31; November 8, 10-12; 



1886. October 28, 29. 



1887. October 26. 



It will be observed that in some seasons the birds mainly arrived by 

 a series of pronounced movements, while in others a single ' rush ' only is 

 chronicled. When the latter was the case it was preceded or followed 

 (or both) by a steady influx, covering the ordinary period of the autumnal 

 incoming. On many occasions these great immigrations cover the eastern 

 seaboard from Unst, in the Shetland Isles, to, or even beyond, the Wash. 



After arrival the immigrants quickly find their way to accustomed 

 winter quarters, including those in the western districts. 



A migratory stream of Fieldfares, though one of much less extent, passes 

 down the west coast of Scotland, and is chiefly observed in the Western 

 Isles, where it comes much under observation at the rock-stations of Skerry- 

 vore and Dhuheartach, and sometimes extends as far to the west as the 

 Monach group. The Outer Hebridean branch of this stream reaches the 

 north coast of Ireland, whence many of the birds proceed inland to winter 

 quarters. Regarding these western movements it must be observed that 

 (1) they are not performed simultaneously with those on the east coast, 

 and the birds probably reach and pass down our Atlantic shores after an 

 overland flight ; (2) it seems probable that the Fieldfares regularly travel- 

 ling southwards by way of the Outer Hebrides may reach that far western 

 route by way of the Faroes, which islands are visited annually in the 

 autumn ' — an interesting fact since the bird does not summer in Iceland, 

 and, moreover, one which indicates an astonishing extension westwards of 

 the right wing of the hosts moving southwards on the approach of 

 winter.'^ 



Autumn Passage and Emigration. — An autumn passage to winter 

 quarters beyond the British Isles is chiefly observed on our east coast, 

 and immediately follows the immigrations of the latter half of October 

 and the first half of November. Thus many Fieldfares quit our southern 

 shores very shortly after their arrival, and consequently the dates of immi- 

 gration, passage, and emigration closely correspond. A number of the 

 immigrants observed on the west coast also proceed southwards — some of 

 them along the east coast of Ireland, and thence across St. George's 

 Channel ; others by way of the west coast of England and Wales — and 

 these birds of passage finally quit our shores at points on the western 



' Mr. Knud Andersen informs me that the Fieldfare occurs on migration in both 

 spring and autumn at the Faroes. 



2 In the Zoologist for 1880, p. 510, Mr. Gurney mentions that during October 

 of that year Fieldfares were observed going from east to west at Cromer ; and the 

 same authority {op. cit., 1892, p. 61) states that several which had perished on pas- 

 sage were picked up at Yarmouth on November 8, 1901. These records, however, do 

 not necessarily indicate an east-to-west movement across the southern waters of the 

 North Sea on the part of this species. 



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