The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-06-13
FLYING ~ NIGHT.
Watching the Migration Of Birds KroD -
Heligoland Light-House.


Watching tbs Migration Of Birds Kron 1he
HsligoIand Lisht-House.
The island of Heligolaud. in tho
North Sea, Is nothing but triangular
rock Of perhaps hundred acres, but
there Is probably no spot OF equal size
on the earth's surface that Is Of more
interest to the student Of birds Tho
fact is" says Mr.. Seebohm. that this
little island - the only part OF the
world Of which the sornithology has
been properly worked. Every little
boy on the island IL born and bred
ornithologist Every unfortunate bird
which visits the island has to run the
gauntlet Of about forty guns, to say
nothing OF scores OF bIowpipes and cat
apults. ss ~ Il -
The flight and note Of every bird
are familiar to every islander A new
bird is instantly detected. The fisher
man steers with a gun by his side; the
peasant digs his potatoes with gun
on the turf, and a heap of birds on his
coat.
Every bird which appears Is
wni5tied within range with marvellous
skill. The common sorts are eaten,
the rare ones sold to the bird-stuffer,
and the new ones taken to Gatke, the
ornithologist. y
Mr.. Seebohm visited the island some
years ago to witness the autumnal
migration. For nearly a. week. he
writes, the weather was unfavorable
There were scarcely half dozen birds
on the island. On the twelfth of Oc-
tober the afternoon was calm, and in
the evening a breeze sprang up from
the Southeast. called upon Gatka;
who advised me to go to bed and be
up before sunrise, as in all probability
Ishould find the island swarming with
birds. Accordingly / turned in soon
after ten.
AT half-past twelveI was walked
with the news that the migration had
already begun. Hastily dressing my
self. / at once made for the, light
house. The night was almost pitch
dark, but the town was all astir. In
every street men with large lanterns
and sort Of anglers landing-net were
making for the lighthouse. As l
crossed the potato-felds. birds were
continually getting up at.my feetssr
At the lighthouse an intensely in
teresting sight presented itself. The
Mhole~zane&ofligh t=Mith in-rang e-of
the mirrors. was alive with birds COM
ing and going. Nothing else was Wis.,
fb1e in the darkness OF the night but
the lantern of the lighthouse Wig,
Melted in a drifting sea Of birds. From
the darkness in the east clouds OF birds
f=were=emerging4 iIizan@nn interrHpte
stream.
II should be afraid to hazard a
guess as to the hundreds of thousands
that must have passed in couple OF
hours, but the stray birds which the
lighthouse keeper succeeded in secur-
ing as they fluttered against the wire
netting amounted to almost three
hundred.
'.The night was starless and the
town invisible, but the island looked
like the outskirts Of a gas-lighted city.
being sprinkled over with brilliant
lanterns. Many of the larks alighted
on the ground to rest, and allowed the
Heligolanders to pass their nets over
them. On some nights as many as fif-
teen thousand skylarks have been
taken on the island.
cat about three o'clock, in the morns
ing the clouds broke. the stars came
out and the migration came to an end,
or was continued above the range Of
our vision. Youths Companion