Report on the Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1887. Ninth Report (Vol. II, No. 4.)

In the late 1800s a group of dedicated naturalists set out to chart the seasonal journeys of Britain’s feathered travelers. Working with lighthouse keepers from Scotland, England, Ireland and even the remote Faroe Islands, they recorded nightly counts, weather notes and the routes birds followed as they slipped past the warning lights. The resulting compilation reads like a meticulous travel diary for winged migrants, complete with maps, tables and vivid anecdotal observations.

The report focuses on the spring and autumn passages of 1887, revealing striking patterns such as mass departures from coastal cliffs and unexpected stop‑overs at remote isles. Readers hear the rhythm of numbers rising and falling, the influence of wind and fog, and the quiet dedication of the keepers who logged each sighting by lantern glow. Though a scientific document, its pages pulse with the awe of watching millions of birds trace invisible highways across the sea.