To return once more to the East Coast, the Norfolk seaboard between
Cromer and Yarmouth and the corresponding light-vessels show a large
annual immigration, but the returns are less pronounced between
Yarmouth and Orfordness. The coast of Essex, with the northern side of
the Thames estuary, is fairly good; but the opposite coast of Kent,
from the North to the South Forelands, including the four Goodwin and
the Varne light-vessels, is a barren and pre-eminently uninteresting
district for arrivals, both as regards numbers and species, the chief
migrants seen being such as are following the coast to the south.
Those migrants, which in the autumn follow the East Coast from north to
south, pass directly from the Spurn to the Lincolnshire coast without
entering the Humber; and there are no indications that they follow
the shores of the Wash in and out, but shape their course from about
Gibraltar Point to the Norfolk coast. To judge from the well-filled
schedules sent in year by year from the Shipwash, Swin Middle, Kentish
Knock, and Galloper light-vessels, a closely packed stream passes
somewhere from the coast of Suffolk across the North Sea in the line
of these stations, both in the spring and autumn, to and from the
Continent. Autumn migrants approaching the Humber from the sea do not
follow the course of that river into the interior--that is from S.E.
to N.W.--the line they take invariably crosses the river diagonally,
and is from E.S.E. to W.N.W. This course is so persistently followed,
that I have observed year by year, on a migratory day, birds cross our
fields at the same angle. Supposing this course to be continued they
would strike the Trent at or near Gainsborough.
Except in one instance no returns have been obtained from any stations
on the south-east coast between the South Foreland and St Catherine's
Point, Isle of Wight. This is much to be regretted, as it is known that
a strong migratory highway runs along the South Coast as well as on the
French side of the Channel.
==============
WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND.
Schedules, etc., were sent to thirty-five stations, not including the
Isle of Man (five more), the schedules for which are under Mr Eagle
Clarke's charge. Of the thirty-five we have received returns from
fifteen stations. From these fifteen stations we have thirty-eight
filled schedules. We have again received two schedules from Monach
Islands; but, as in 1885, they are again written straight across the
schedule, irrespective of columns. To enter all these notes in their
right places and sequence in our Report would cause great additional
labour and loss of time to the working members of the Committee, as
already fully explained in last Report (p. 92), _q.v._
We would be much obliged by our Reporters adhering to the columnar
arrangement.
LIST OF STATIONS.
Note: The names of the Reporters are given under "Diary from the
Stations."
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