Alcidæ.--Records in every month, except February and December. Spring:
Great numbers. Razorbills flying north on Jan. 7th, at Skervuile.
Puffins seen at Butt of Lewis March 3rd. "Rock Birds" in April, all
day, flying south at Ushenish, and arrive last week in April; breed
first week in May. Hundreds of Puffins flying south on May 10th and
11th at Ushenish. "Auks" flying south at Skervuile. "Puffins" at
Dhuheartach on 2nd and on 20th. Auks, Puffins, &c., at Ushenish,
Skervuile. Earliest July 31st; latest Oct. 18th, 19th, and 20th,
at Ushenish. Rush: Thousands at Ushenish, along with Gannets and
Kittiwakes, feeding and flying south all day.
Great Northern Divers.--Spring: At Skerryvore, two seen in June.
Autumn: At Sound of Mull two seen feeding, male and feeding; at same
place, two on 10th.
General Remarks.
In 1879 there was scarcity of birds at many important stations, such as
Butt of Lewis and Monach Island, Skerryvore and Dhuheartach. In that
year westerly and N.W. winds prevailed. In 1880 larger numbers were
noted. In that year easterly gales and winds prevailed all through the
migratory season. In 1879 migrants were scarce at the more northerly
stations, being compressed by the westerly winds more towards the
south, but in 1880 they reached much further north, being expanded by
the following easterly gales and winds, as we have seen in treating of
the east coast of Scotland this year.
The stations visited by the largest numbers of birds are the Bell
Rock and Isle of May, both being stations pretty far southward, and
Pentland Skerries, a more northern station. We now find also that on
the west coast the stations sending fullest numerical returns are also
southerly stations, and for the most part are situated south of the
Firth of Clyde. Both on east and west coasts all returns coming in from
north of Firth of Clyde in west, and north of Firth of Tay in east,
except Pentland Skerries, report scarcity of birds as compared with
last season (1880), and after November birds were unusually scarce.
Writing from North Ronaldshay Mr. Tulloch tells us that birds seldom
come so far north during migration, but usually trend more towards the
mainland. On the west coast, at Rhu Stoir, very few birds are reported
after November in most seasons, and similar reports come from Island
Glass and others of the more northerly stations. The great gales from
W. and S.W. during November and December made all birds scarce at
Monach Island, even Eider Ducks being unusually scarce. At Skerryvore
birds never struck lanterns in flocks this year, but only in scattered
instances. It will thus be seen that the migratory seasons of 1879 and
1881 most closely resemble each other, as regards our Scottish coasts,
whilst that of 1880 was more abnormal, owing to the easterly winds
prevailing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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