Mr Georgeson writes as follows: "Since my last report to you ending
December 1885, I have had little to add in the way of forwarding your
useful work regarding migration, and of the numbers and varieties of
sea birds passing or frequenting this station. I notice a visible
decrease annually in the numbers of both land and sea birds, a decrease
attributed to the island not being so quiet as it was some years ago,
before the lighthouse was built, when the birds had the island all to
themselves, and there was no one residing on it, but was only used by
the natives for grazing purposes. Now the keepers and their families
going round the island, the small birds are disturbed at the period of
incubation.
"In January and February a few Terns, Snow Buntings, Twites, and Rock
Pipits struck the lantern, the wind being south. Of sea birds during
those months I observed a few Solan Geese, Scarts, Kittiwakes, Eider
Ducks, Teal Ducks, etc.; but as the breeding season came on they left.
"In March a pair of Shielducks visited the island, and after remaining
a few days, left, returning again in April (presumably the same pair),
and after nesting and having two young ones, the four left in August.
No Teal nor Eiders bred here this season.
"In June a large flock of Pictarnies, a few Stonechicks, Ringnecks
(?), Sand Larks, and Twites came to the island (but not in such large
numbers as in former seasons). Wind from south to west. They left with
their young in August, the few I saw leaving flying in a north-easterly
direction." [This is somewhat contrary to experiences, and no doubt is
due to local peculiarities of the configuration of the Outer Hebrides
and land communications with the mainland, but our data appear too
scanty to explain this. In this case "the few Mr Georgeson saw flying
in a N.E. direction," was with a wind from south to west. Possibly they
do this to catch up the Skye coast, or sooner reach the shelter of the
east coast of the Outer Hebrides.--J. A. H.-B.] "In June also a pair of
Tysties," continues Mr Georgeson, "came to the island, and left with
the young in August.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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