161 



THE BLACKBIRD {Turdus merula). 



Practically tlie only records received as to the movements of this 

 species were from light-stations, so that where there are gaps in the 

 records it must not necessarily be inferred that no movements vs^ere in 

 progress. The earliest observations came from the west coast between 

 Lancashire and S. Wales between the 26th/27th of January and the 9th 

 of February, and it seems probable by the direction of flight given in 

 some cases (E.) that these referred to the return of some of the Irish 

 winter-residents. The only other records in the first half of February 

 were of small numbers at the Lenian and Ower Light-vessel (Norfolk) 

 on the 4th/5th and 7th/8th. 



West coast movements were (apparently) resumed on the 14th/1.5th 

 and thereafter were recorded on almost every night at dift'erent stations 

 between the Welsh Skerries and the Bristol Channel up to the end of 

 the mouth ; the numbers, however, appear to have been small, but the 

 movement culminated on the nights of the 2nd and ord of March in a 

 large intiux which was recorded at nearly every light-station between the 

 Isle of Man and the Bristol Channel, the numbers being greatest at the 

 more northerly stations. 



No immigrants appear to have arrived on the south coast until the 

 26th/27th of Eebruai'y, but considerable numbers were recorded on 

 that date, and small numbers almost nightly up to the 6th/7th of 

 March, chiefly at Duugenessand the Isle of Wight, though some arrived 

 as far west as Portland. During the latter part of the same period 

 (lst/2nd to 6th/6th of March) the passage of considerable numbers of 

 Blackbirds was also recorded at stations ofl" the Essex, Suffolk and 

 Norfolk coasts, and the direction of flight noticed during the day suggests 

 that these were returning emigrants. 



No further records were received until the 18th/19th of March, when 

 the west coast movements were again resumed ; with the exception of 

 large numbers at the Chicken Rock Light (Isle of Man) on the 21st/22nd 

 the numbers were quite small until the 29th, when a heavy stream of 

 migrants began to pass and continued nightly up to the 4th of April, 

 being recorded at nearly every station from Cumberland to the Bristol 

 Channel. 



On the south coast immigrants were recorded arriving again in large 

 numbers on the 22nd/23rd of March between Land's End and E. Dorset, 

 and these were followed by others on each night from the 28th/29th to 

 the 2nd/3rd of April at stations between the Scilly Isles and the Isle of 

 Wight, while on the 30th/31st a small migration was also noticed in the 

 Channel Islands. 



The only east coast movement noticed at the end of March was a 

 small number of birds seen ofl" the Lincolnshire coast on the 29th/y0th. 

 After the first week of April very little migration was recorded, small 



