The Zoologist/4th series, vol 1 (1897)/Issue 677/The Migration of Birds

by John Alexander Harvie-Brown

 

THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS:

A PAPER ADDRESSED to the LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS of the ENGLISH CHANNEL, and to the LOCAL ORNITHOLOGISTS of the COUNTIES ABUTTING THEREON.

By J.A. Harvie Brown,
Member of Committee of Migration of the British Association.

 

Between Varne Lighthouse in the east, and Start Lighthouse in the west, along the south coast of Great Britain, no returns have been received regarding the "Migration of Birds" by the British Association Committee on that subject, although schedules have been returned from all the other lighthouses of Great Britain and Ireland during nine years' endeavours of the Committee (1879 to 1887), and resulting in the Digest of the Reports of the Committee of these years, which latter took Mr. Eagle Clarke seven more years to work out, and which was presented by him to the Committee at the Liverpool Meeting of the British Association in 1896. The fault of this big blank in our annals does not lie with the appointed members of the Association's Committee. As a member of that Committee, I think the blank should be filled in. I therefore address this article, hoping that it will be circulated through them to the light-keepers of the south coast of England. It appears to me that such would be all the more important as an annex to Mr. Eagle Clarke's Digest, because the existing blank leaves a part of his deductions unsupported to the extent they should be; I mean his conclusions as to what he has termed in his Digest the east-to-west migration line.

It seems also, at the present time, specially desirable to obtain positive records from these stations, as we have good reason to believe that fresh series of observations will be before long undertaken at prominent stations outside our British limits, but upon the same east-to-west line. If these observations could be arranged for upon this south coast-line of England simultaneously with the observations about to be instituted outside our British limits, above referred to; and which we expect will be undertaken, first in the autumn of 1898, and, if all goes well with the project, in the spring of 1899, by a member of our Committee: then a completely new set of observations would be instituted.

We cannot see that any great difficulty should exist if some south-country ornithologist will undertake both the work required, and the education of the lighthouse reporters, as has been done heretofore on our other coasts. Such work to be effective requires close attention and personal trouble in keeping in touch with the lighthouse reporters, with a considerable amount of personal supervision and active controlling interest. Personal visitations to the lighthouse reporters, a certain amount of education by the person who undertakes the charge by the dissemination of useful and practical literature, the collection of wings of birds, properly labelled with dates and records in accordance with the circulated schedules, and their items, are the most important branches of the enquiry.

We earnestly urge upon the ornithologists of the southern counties of England the importance of this quest. It is not yet too late to undertake it. If promptly taken up upon this hint, I am sure the present constituted Committee are not going outside the limits of the powers bestowed upon them in their urging the extension of the enquiry entrusted to their charge. And further, should any ornithologist of the south coasts of England rise to the occasion, I am sure that we are safe in promising every necessary assistance which our past experience in similar work enables us to give.

We want returns from all the lighthouses between Varne (east) and Start (west), and we want some resident ornithologist to take supervision of the whole, and to report.

With this belief we ask the British Association to add to our number one or more accredited naturalists, who will undertake the enquiry for our southern coast of England.