Birds of Guernsey Part 4

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is, however, no specimen now in the Museum.

I am very doubtful as to whether I ought to include the Bearded t.i.t, _Panurus biarmicus_ of Linnaeus, in this list. There are a pair in the Museum, but these may have been obtained in France or England. One of Mr. De Putron's men, however, described a bird he had shot in the reeds in Mr. De Putron's pond in the Vale, and certainly his description sounded very much as if it had been a Bearded t.i.t; but the bird had been thrown away directly after it was shot, and there was no chance of verifying the description.

50. WAXWING. _Ampelis garrulus_, Linnaeus. French, "Jaseur de Boheme,"

"Grand Jaseur."--As would seem probable from its occasional appearance in nearly every county in England, the Waxwing does occasionally make its appearance in Guernsey as a straggler. I have never seen it myself, but Mr. MacCulloch writes me word--"I have known the Bohemian Waxwing killed here on several occasions, but have not the date."

An interesting account of the nesting habits of this bird, and the discovery of the nests and eggs by Mr. Wolley, was published by Professor Newton in the 'Ibis' for 1861, and will be found also in Dresser's 'Birds of Europe.' and in the new edition of 'Yarrell,' by Professor Newton.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey; and there is one specimen in the Museum.

51. PIED WAGTAIL. _Motacilla lugubris_, Temminck. French, "Bergeronette Yarrellii."[11]--The Pied Wagtail has probably been better known to some of my readers as _Motacilla Yarrellii_, but, according to the rules of nomenclature before alluded to, _Motacilla lugubris_ of Temminck seems to have superseded the probably better-known name of _Motacilla Yarrellii_.

For some reason or other the Pied Wagtail has grown much more scarce in Guernsey than it used to be; at one time it was common even about the town, running about by the gutters in the street, and several were generally to be seen on the lawn at Candie. But this last summer--that of 1878--I did not see one about Candie, or indeed anywhere else, except one pair which were breeding near the Vale Church; and when there in November, 1875, I only saw one, and that was near Vazon Bay. Mr.

MacCulloch has also noticed this growing scarcity of the Pied Wagtail, as he writes to me--"Of late years, for some reason or other, Wagtails of all sorts have become rare." In the summer of 1866, however, I found the Pied Wagtail tolerably common.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark.

52. WHITE WAGTAIL. _Motacilla alba_, Linnaeus. French, "Lavendiere,"

"Hoche-queue grise," "Bergeronette grise."--The White Wagtail is still scarcer than the Pied, but I saw one pair evidently breeding between L'ancresse Road and Grand Havre. The White Wagtail so much resembles the Pied Wagtail, that it may have been easily overlooked, and may be more common than is generally known.

The fully adult birds may easily be distinguished, especially when in full breeding plumage, as the back of the Pied Wagtail is black, while that of the White Wagtail is grey. After the autumnal moult, however, the distinction is not quite so easy, as the feathers of the Pied Wagtail are then margined with grey, which rather conceals the colour beneath; but if the feathers are lifted up they will be found to be black under the grey margins. The young birds of the year, in their first feathers, cannot be distinguished, and the same may be said of the eggs.

The White Wagtail is included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as only occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen either of the Pied or White Wagtail in the Museum.

53. GREY WAGTAIL. _Motacilla melanope_, Pallas. French, "Bergeronette jaune."--The Grey Wagtail is by no means common in the Islands, though it may occasionally remain to breed, as I have seen it both in Guernsey and Sark between the 21st of June and the end of July in 1866, but I have not seen it in any of the Islands during the autumn. It is, however, no doubt an occasional, though never very numerous, winter visitant, probably more common, however, at this time of year than in the summer, as I have one in winter plumage shot in Guernsey in December, and another in January, 1879, and there is also one in the Museum in winter plumage.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark.

54. YELLOW WAGTAIL. _Motacilla raii_, Bonaparte. French, "Bergeronnette flaveole."--As far as I have been able to judge the Yellow Wagtail is only an occasional visitant on migration. A few, however, may sometimes remain to breed. I have one Channel Island specimen killed in Guernsey the last week in March. Mr. MacCulloch, however, writes me word that in some years they--_i.e._, Yellow Wagtails--are not very uncommon, but of late, for some reason or other, Wagtails of all sorts have become rare.

He adds--"I am under the impression that we have more than one Yellow Wagtail." It is, therefore, possible that the Greyheaded Wagtail, the true _Motacilla flava_ of Linnaeus, may occasionally occur, or in consequence of the bright yellow of portions of its plumage the last-mentioned species--the Grey Wagtail--may have been mistaken for a second species of Yellow Wagtail. I have not myself seen the Yellow Wagtail in either of the Islands during my summer visits in 1866, 1876, or 1878; so it certainly cannot be very common during the breeding-season, or I could scarcely have missed seeing it.

Professor Ansted has not included it in his list, and there is no specimen at present in the Museum.

55. TREE PIPIT. _Anthus trivialis_, Linnaeus. French, "Pipit des arbres," "Pipit des buissons."--A very numerous summer visitant to all the Islands, breeding in great numbers in the parts suited to it. In the Vale it was very common, many of the furze-bushes on L'Ancresse Common containing nests. The old male might constantly be seen flying up from the highest twigs of the furze-bush, singing its short song as it hovered over the bush, and returning again to the top branch of that or some neighbouring bush. This continued till about the middle of July, when the young were mostly hatched, and many of them flown and following their parents about clamorous for food, which was plentiful in the Vale in the shape of numerous small beetles, caterpillars, and very small snails. The young were mostly hatched by the beginning of July, but I found one nest with young still in it in a furze-bush about ten yards from high water-mark as late as the 27th of July, but the young were all flown when I visited the nest two days afterwards. The Tree Pipits have all departed by the middle of October, and I have never seen any there in November.

The Tree Pipit is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but no letters marking the distribution of the species amongst the Islands are given.

There is no specimen of this or either of the other Pipits in the Museum.

56. MEADOW PIPIT. _Anthus pratensis_, Linnaeus. French, "Le cujelier,"

"Pipit des pres," "Pipit Farlouse."--The Meadow Pipit is resident and breeds in all the Islands, but is by no means so numerous as the Tree Pipit is during the summer. I think, however, its numbers are slightly increased in the autumn, about the time of the departure of the Tree Pipits, by migrants.

It is included by Professor Ansted in his list, but marked as occurring only in Guernsey.

57. ROCK PIPIT. _Anthus obscurus_, Latham. French, "Pipit obsur," "Pipit spioncelle."--Resident and numerous, breeding amongst the rocks and round the coast of all the Islands. It is also common in all the small outlying Islands, such as Burhou, and all the little rocky Islands that stretch out to the northward of Herm, and are especially the home of the Puffin and the Lesser Black-backed Gull. On all of these the Rock Pipit may be found breeding, but its nest is generally so well concealed amongst the thrift samphire, wild stock, and other seaside plants which grow rather rankly amongst those rocks, considering how little soil there generally is for them and what wild storms they are subject to, that it is by no means easy to find it, though one may almost see the bird leave the nest.

The Bock Pipit is included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as only occurring in Guernsey. All the Rock Pipits I have seen in the Channel Islands have been the common form, _Anthus obscurus_; I have never seen one of the rufous-breasted examples which occur in Scandinavia and the Baltic, and have by some been separated as a distinct species under the name of _Anthus rupestris_.

58. SKY LARK. _Alauda arvensis_, Linnaeus. French, "Alouette des champs."--Mr. Metivier, in his 'Dictionary,' gives Houedre as the local Guernsey-French name of the Sky Lark. As may be supposed by its having a local name, it is a common and well-known bird, and is resident in all the Islands. I have not been able to find that its numbers are much increased by migrants at any time of year, though probably in severe weather in the winter the Sky Larks flock a good deal, as they do in England. The Sky Lark breeds in all the Islands, and occasionally places its nest in such exposed situations that it is wonderful how the young escape. One nest we found by a roadside near Ronceval; it was within arm's length of the road, and seemed exposed to every possible danger.

When we found it, on the 15th of June, there were five eggs in it, fresh, or, at all events, only just sat on, as I took one and blew it for one of my daughters. On the 19th we again visited the nest; there were then four young ones in it, but they were so wonderfully like the dry gra.s.s which surrounded the nest in colour that it was more difficult to find it then than when the eggs were in it, and except for the young birds moving as they breathed I think we should not have found it a second time. A few days after--July the 3rd--there was very heavy rain all night. Next day we thought the Sky Larks must be drowned (had they been Partridges under the care of a keeper they would have been), but as it was only one was washed out of the nest and drowned; the rest were all well and left the nest a few days after. So in spite of the exposed situation close to a frequented road, on a bit of common ground where goats and cows were tethered, nets and seaweed, or "vraic," as it is called in Guernsey, spread for drying, dogs, cats, and children continually wandering about, and without any shelter from rain, the old birds brought off three young from their five eggs.

The Sky Lark is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list as occurring only in Guernsey and Sark. It is, however, quite as common in Alderney and Herm. There is no specimen in the Museum.

59. SNOW BUNTING. _Plectrophanes nivalis_, Linnaeus. French, "Ortolan de neige," "Bruant de neige."--The Snow Bunting is probably a regular, though never very numerous, autumnal visitant, remaining on into the winter. It seems to be more numerous in some years than others. Mr. Mac Culloch tells me a good many Snow Buntings were seen in November, 1850.

Mr. Couch records one in the 'Zoologist' for 1874 as having been killed at Cobo on the 28th of September of that year. This seems rather an early date. When I was in Guernsey in November, 1875, I saw a few flocks of Snow Buntings, and one--a young bird of the year--which had been killed by a boy with a catapult, was brought into Couch's shop about the same time, and I have one killed at St. Martin's, Guernsey, in November, 1878; and Captain Hubbach writes me word that he shot three out of a flock of five in Alderney in January, 1863.

Professor Ansted mentions the Snow Bunting in his list as occurring in Guernsey and Sark, and there is a specimen at present in the Museum.

60. BUNTING. _Emberiza miliaria_, Linnaeus. French, "Le proyer," "Bruant proyer."--The Bunting is resident in Guernsey and breeds there, but in very small numbers, and it is very local in its distribution. I have seen a few in the Vale. I saw two or three about the grounds of the Vallon in July, 1878, which were probably the parents and their brood which had been hatched somewhere in the grounds.

It is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list as occurring only in Guernsey. There is one specimen in the Museum.

61. YELLOW HAMMER. _Emberiza citrinella_, Linnaeus. French, "Bruant jaune."--The Yellow Hammer, though resident and breeding in all the Islands, is by no means as common as in many parts of England. In Alderney perhaps it is rather more common than in Guernsey, as I saw some near the Artillery Barracks this summer, 1878, and Captain Hubbach told me he had seen two or three pairs about there all the year. In Guernsey, on the other hand, I did not see one this summer, 1878. I have, however, shot a young bird there which certainly could not have been long out of the nest. I have never seen the Cirl Bunting in any of the Islands, nor has it, as far as I know, been recorded from them, which seems rather surprising, as it is common on the South Coast of Devon, and migratory, but not numerous, on the North Coast of France;[12] so it is very probable that it may yet occur.

The Yellow Hammer is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are also a pair in the Museum.

62. CHAFFINCH. _Fringilla caelebs_, Linnaeus. French, "Pinson ordinaire," "Grosbec pinson."--- The Chaffinch is resident, tolerably common, and generally distributed throughout the Islands, but is nowhere so common as in England. In Guernsey this year, 1878, it seemed to me rather to have decreased in numbers, as I saw very few,--certainly not so many as in former years,--though I could not find that there was any reason for the decrease.

It is, of course, mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but by him only marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is only one--a female--at present in the Museum.

63. BRAMBLING. _Fringilla montifringilla_, Linnaeus. French, "Pinson d'Ardennes." "Grosbec d'Ardennes."--The Brambling can only be considered an occasional autumn and winter visitant, and probably never very numerous. I have never seen the bird in the Channel Islands myself. I have, however, one specimen--a female--killed in Brock Road, Guernsey, in December, 1878, and I have been informed by Mr. MacCulloch that he had a note of the occurrence of the Brambling or Mountain Finch in January, 1855. It cannot, however, be looked upon as anything more than a very rare occasional straggler, by no means occurring every year.

It is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

64. TREE SPARROW. _Pa.s.ser monta.n.u.s_, Linnaeus. French, "Friquet."--The Tree Sparrow breeds, and is probably resident in the Islands. Up to this year, 1878, I have only seen it once myself, and that was on the 7th of June, 1876, just outside the grounds of the Vallon in Guernsey. From the date and from the behaviour of the bird I have no doubt it had a nest just inside the grounds. I could not then, however, make any great search for the nest without trespa.s.sing, though I got sufficiently near the bird to be certain of its ident.i.ty. This year, 1878, I could not see one anywhere about the Vallon, either inside or outside the grounds. I saw, however, one or two about the Vale, but they were very scarce. I have not myself seen the Tree Sparrow in any of the other Islands.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Sark only. I have not seen a specimen at Mr. Couch's, or any of the other bird-stuffers, but there is one in the Museum and some eggs, all of which are probably Guernsey.

65. HOUSE SPARROW. _Pa.s.ser domesticus_, Linnaeus. French, "Moineau domestique," "Grosbec moineau."--The House Sparrow is very numerous throughout the Islands, abounding where there are any buildings inhabited by either man, horses, or cattle. In the gardens near the town of St. Peter's Port, in Guernsey, it is very common, and does a considerable amount of mischief. It is, however, by no means confined to the parts near the town, as many were nesting in some ilex trees near the house we had on L'Ancresse Common, although the house had been empty since the previous summer, and the garden uncultivated; so food till we came must have been rather scarce about there. As the wheat is coming into ear the Sparrows, as in England, leave the neighbourhood of the town and other buildings and spread themselves generally over the country, for the purpose of devouring the young wheat while just coming into ear and still soft. In Alderney, owing probably in a great measure to the absence of cottages, farm-buildings, and stables at a distance from the town, and also perhaps owing to the absence of hedges, it is not so numerous in the open part, and consequently not so mischievous, being mostly confined to the town, and to the buildings about the harbour-works. The young wheat, however, is still a temptation, and is accordingly punished by the Sparrows.

The House Sparrow is mentioned by Professor Ansted in his list, but no letters are given marking the general distribution over the Islands, probably because it is so generally spread over them. The local Guernsey-French name is "Grosbec," for which see Metivier's 'Dictionary.'