Migratory Birds at Lighthouses

Abstract

CONSIDERING the amount of nonsense that has been written and still continues to be written—in season and out of season—on the subject of the migration of birds, it is very refreshing to find two gentlemen in this country seriously setting to work to accumulate facts, which may in time be reasonably expected to enable ornithologists to arrive at an opinion, more decided than anybody can be said to possess at the present moment, with regard to that wonderful movement. It might be thought, perhaps, that we indeed had already enough and to spare of recorded observations, for lists of the arrival of migratory birds abound in most of our natural-history periodicals, to say nothing of provincial newspapers; but it does not require much study and comparison of those lists to perceive that, with some honourable exceptions, they are obviously the work of persons not at all fitted—whether by character, training, or,opportunities it matters not—to be competent observers, and consequently the records of their observations have done uncommonly little to advance our knowledge of the subject. Every one who has tried anything of the sort must admit, if he speaks the truth, that the difficulties in the way of observing the movements of birds are much greater than at first sight would appear to be the case. To catry on this kind of systematic observation to any good purpose, a man, if he cannot make it his first object, must yet have such occupations as will not interfere with his being in the right place at the right moment, and of course the ordinary engagements of life are very apt to act as disturbing forces and to baffle his best intentions. Farmers, in the pursuit of their vocation, are perhaps of all professional men the most suited for the work; but the farmer may have to attend a couple of distant market-towns for as many days in the week, and unless his road thither and thence lies favourably, these will be dies non so far as his opportunities of observation are concerned. A very few years' experience will convince any sensible person that the first wheatear of the season is almost always to be seen on a certain down or heath, and the earliest swallow over a certain pool or reach of a river. Localities like these, once discovered, have to be watched daily by him I who wishes to record faithfully the arrival in his district of those particular species, and the same is to be said of others. Even the most enthusiastic sportsman may be hindered by a score of circumstances over which he has no control from visiting for a week or more the particular spot in a copse or corner of a bog where, if there be a woodcock or a snipe in the country, he knows it is sure to lbe found. Seeing then that of the various kinds of outdoor observations few are more subject to the accidents I which affect human actions and habits than those which relate to the movements of birds, the extremely unsatisfactory nature of records made in what is at best a casual way may be accounted for, and hitherto we have had scarcely any records of any other sort.