Birds of Guernsey (1879) by Cecil Smith

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Whilst on the subject of Cuckoos I may mention, for the information of
such of my Guernsey readers who are not ornithologists, and therefore
not well acquainted with the fact, the peculiar state of plumage in
which the female Cuckoo occasionally returns northward in her second
summer; I mean the dull reddish plumage barred with brown, extremely
like that of the female Kestrel: in this plumage she occasionally
returns in her second year and breeds; but when this is changed for the
more general plumage I am unable to state for certain, but probably
after the second autumnal moult. The changes of plumage in the Cuckoo,
however, appear to be rather irregular, as I have one killed in June
nearly in the normal plumage, but with many of the old feathers left,
which have a very Kestrel-like appearance, being redder than the
ordinary plumage of the young bird; some of the tail-feathers, however,
have more the appearance of the ordinary tail-feathers of the young
Cuckoo soon after the tail has reached its full growth: the moult in
this bird must have been very irregular, as it was not completed in
June, when, as a rule, it would have been in full plumage, unless, as
may possibly be the case, this bird was the produce of a second laying
during the southern migration, and consequently, instead of a year, be
only about six months old. This, however, is not a very common state of
plumage; but it is by no means uncommon to find a Cuckoo in May or June
with a good deal of rusty reddish barred with brown, forming a sort of
collar on the breast. I merely mention these rather abnormal changes of
plumage, as they may be interesting to any of my Guernsey readers into
whose hands a Cuckoo may fall in a state of change and prove a puzzle as
to its identity. The Cuckoo departs from the Channel Islands much about
the same time that it does from England on its southern migration in
August or September. Occasionally, however, this southern migration
during the winter seems to be doubted, as a clerical friend of mine once
told me that a brother clergyman, a well educated and even a learned
man, told him, when talking about Cuckoos and what became of them in
winter, that "it was a mistake to suppose they migrated, but that they
all turned into Sparrow-hawks in the winter." As my friend said, could
any one believe this of a well-educated man in the nineteenth century?

The Cuckoo is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are three specimens, one adult and
two young, in the Museum, as well as some very ordinary eggs.

85. KINGFISHER. _Alcedo ispida_, Linnaeus. French, "Martin
Pecheur."--The Kingfisher is by no means uncommon, is generally spread
over the Islands, and is resident and breeds at all events in Guernsey,
if not in the other Islands also. It is generally to be seen amongst the
wild rocks which surround L'Ancresse Common, where it feeds on the small
fish left in the clear pools formed amongst the rocks by the receding
tide; it is also by no means uncommon amongst the more sheltered bays in
the high rocky part of the Island; it is also to be found about the
small ponds in various gardens. About those in Candie Garden I have
frequently seen Kingfishers, and they breed about the large ponds in the
Vale in Mr. De Putron's grounds; they also occasionally visit the wild
rocky islets to the northward of Herm, even as far as the Amfrocques,
the farthest out of the lot. As well as about the Vale ponds, the
Kingfisher breeds in holes in the rocks all round the Island. I have not
myself seen it in Alderney, but Captain Hubbach writes me word he saw
one there about Christmas, 1862. I think its numbers are slightly
increased in the autumn by migrants, as I have certainly seen more
specimens in Mr. Couch's shop at that time of year than at any other;
this may perhaps, however, be accounted for, at all events partially, by
its being protected by the Sea Bird Act during the summer and in early
autumn, where the 'Martin pecheur' appears as one of the "Oiseaux de
Mer."

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and only marked as occurring
in Guernsey and Sark. There are three specimens now in the Museum.

86. NIGHTJAR. _Caprimulgus enropaeus_, Linnaeus. French, "Engoulevent
ordinaire."--The Nightjar is a regular autumnal visitant, a few perhaps
arriving in the spring and remaining to breed, but by far the greater
number only making their appearance on their southward migration in the
autumn. The Nightjar occasionally remains very late in the Islands, as
Miss Carey records one in the 'Zoologist' for 1872 as occurring on the
16th of October; and I have one killed as late as the 12th of November:
this bird had its stomach crammed with black beetles, not our common
domestic nuisances, but small winged black beetles: these dates are
later than the Nightjar usually remains in England, though Yarrell
notices one in Devon as late as the 6th of November, and one in Cornwall
on the 27th of November. Colonel Irby, on the faith of Fabier, says the
Nightjars cross the Straits of Gibraltar on their southward journey from
September to November; so these late stayers in Cornwall and Guernsey
have not much time to complete their journey if they intend going as far
south as the coast of Africa; perhaps, however the Guernsey ones have no
such intention, as Mr. Gallienne, in his remarks published with
Professor Ansted's list, says "The Nightjar breeds here, and I have
obtained it summer and winter." Mr. MacCulloch tells me the Goatsucker
is looked upon by the Guernsey people as a bird of ill-omen and a
companion of witches in their aerial rambles. The bird-stuffer in
Alderney had some wings of Nightjars nailed up behind his door which
had been shot in that Island by himself.

Professor Ansted includes the Nightjar in his list, but only marks it as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens, a male and
female, in the Museum, but no date as to time of their occurrence.

87. SWIFT. _Cypselus apus_, Linnaeus. French, "Martinet de
Muraille."--The Swift is a tolerably numerous summer visitant to all the
Islands, but I think most numerous in Sark, where hundreds of these
birds may be seen flying about the Coupee, amongst the rocks of which
place and Little Sark they breed in considerable numbers. Mr. MacCulloch
and Mr. Gallienne appear to think the Swift rare in Guernsey, as Mr
Gallienne says in his remarks on Professor Ansted's list, "The swift
appears here (Guernsey) in very small numbers, but is abundant in Sark;"
and Mr. MacCulloch writes me word, "I consider the Swift very rare in
Guernsey." I certainly cannot quite agree with this, as I have found
them by no means uncommon, though certainly rather locally distributed
in Guernsey. One afternoon this summer (1878) Mr. Howard Saunders and I
counted forty within sight at one time about the Gull Cliff, near the
old deserted house now known as Victor Hugo's house, as he has
immortalised it by describing it in his 'Travailleurs de la Mer.' The
Swifts use this and two similar houses not very far off for breeding
purposes, a good many nesting in them, and others, as in Sark, amongst
the cliffs. Young Le Cheminant had a few Swifts' eggs in his small
collection, probably taken from this very house, as the Swift is
certainly, as Mr. MacCulloch says, rare in other parts of Guernsey. In
Alderney the Swift is tolerably common, and a good many pairs were
breeding about Scott's Hotel when I was there this year (1878). Probably
a good many Swifts visit the Islands, especially Alderney, for a short
time on migration, principally in the autumn, as once when I was
crossing from Weymouth to Guernsey, on the 18th of August, I saw a large
flock of Swifts just starting on their migratory flight; they were
plodding steadily on against a stormy southerly breeze, spread out like
a line of skirmishers, not very high, but at a good distance apart;
there was none of the wild dashing about and screeching which one
usually connects with the flight of the Swift, but a steady
business-like flight; they went a little to the eastward of our course
in the steamer, and this would have brought them to land in Alderney or
Cape la Hague.

Professor Ansted included the Swift in his list, but oddly enough,
considering the remark of Mr. Gallienne above quoted, marks it as only
occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

88. SWALLOW, _Hirundo rustica_, Linnaeus. French, "Hirondelle de
Cheminee."--According to Metivier's 'Dictionary,' "Aronde" is the local
Guernsey-French name of the Swallow, which is a common summer visitant
to all the Islands, and very generally distributed over the whole of
them, and not having particular favourite habitations as the Martin has.
It arrives and departs much about the same time that it does in England,
except that I do not remember ever to have seen any laggers quite so
late as some of those in England. A few migratory flocks probably rest
for a short time in the Islands before continuing their journey north or
south, as the case may be; the earliest arrivals and the latest laggers
belong to such migratory flocks, the regular summer residents probably
not arriving quite so soon, and departing a little before those that pay
a passing visit; consequently the number of residents does not appear at
any time to be materially increased by such wandering flocks.

Professor Ansted includes the Swallow in his list, but only marks it as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen of any of the
Hirundines in the Museum.

89. MARTIN. _Chelidon urbica_, Linnaeus. French, "Hirondelle de
fenetre."--The House Martin is much more local than the Swallow, but
still a numerous summer visitant, like the Swallow, arriving and
departing about the same time that it does in England. It is spread over
all the Islands, but confined to certain spots in each; in Guernsey the
outskirts of the town about Candie Road, and the rocks in Fermain and
Petit Bo Bay, seem very favourite nesting-places. In Alderney there were
a great many nests about Scott's Hotel and a few more in the town, but I
did not see any about the cliffs as at Fermain and Petit Bo in Guernsey.

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

90. SAND MARTIN. _Cotyle riparia_, Linnaeus. French, "Hirondelle de
rivage."--When I first made out my list of Guernsey birds I had omitted
the Sand Martin altogether, as I had never seen it in the Islands, but
Mr. MacCulloch wrote to me to say, "Amongst the swallows you have not
noticed the Sand Martin, which is our earliest visitant in this family
and by no means uncommon." In consequence of this note, as soon as I got
to the Island this year (1878), in June, I went everywhere I could think
likely to look for Sand Martins, but nowhere could I find that the Sand
Martins had taken possession of a breeding-station. Knowing from my own
experience here that Sand Martins are fond of digging their nest-holes
in the heads of quarries, (I had quite forty nest-holes in my quarry
this year, and forty pairs of Sand Martins inhabiting them), I kept a
bright look-out in all the stone-quarries in the Vale, and they are very
numerous, but I did not see a single Sand Martin's hole or a single pair
of birds anywhere; and it appeared to me that the sandy earth forming
the head was not deep enough before reaching the granite to admit of the
Sand Martins making their holes; and they do not appear to me to have
fixed upon any other sort of breeding place in the Island; neither could
Mr. MacCulloch point one out to me; so I suppose we must consider the
Sand Martin as only a spring visitant to this Island, not remaining to
breed. The same seems to me to be the case in Alderney, as Captain
Hubbach writes to tell me he "saw some Sand Martins about the quarry
here (in Alderney), for two or three days at the beginning of April, but
cannot say whether they remained here to breed or not." I suppose they
continued their journey, as I did not see any when there in June; I have
not seen any in Sark or either of the other small Islands.

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

91. WOOD PIGEON. _Columba palumbus_, Linnaeus. French, "Colombe
ramier."--The Wood Pigeon is resident and breeds in several places in
Guernsey; but fortunately for the Guernsey Farmers, who may
congratulate themselves on the fact, the Wood Pigeons do not breed in
very great numbers. I may mention the trees in the New Ground, Candie
Garden, the Vallon and Woodlands, as places where Wood Pigeons
occasionally breed. No doubt the number of Wood Pigeons is occasionally
increased by migratory, or rather perhaps wandering, flocks, as Mr.
Couch, in a note to the 'Zoologist,' dated October the 21st, 1871, says,
"On Tuesday a great number of Wood Pigeons rested and several were
shot." Mr. MacCulloch also writes me, "The Wood Pigeon occasionally
arrives in large numbers. A few years ago I heard great complaints of
the damage they were doing to the peas;"[15] but luckily for the farmers
these wandering flocks do not stay long, or there would be but little
peas, beans, or grain left in the Islands; and the Wood Pigeons would be
more destructive to the crops in Guernsey than in England, as there are
not many acorns or Beech masts on which they could feed; consequently
they would live almost entirely on the farmer; and to show the damage
they would be capable of doing in this case, I may say that in the crops
of two that I examined some time ago--not killed in Guernsey however--I
found, in the first, thirty seven beech-masts in the crop, and eight
others in the gizzard, sufficiently whole to be counted; and in the
crop of the other the astonishing number of seventy-seven beech-masts
and one large acorn; the gizzard of this one I did not examine. I only
mention this to show the damage a few Wood Pigeons would do supposing
they were restricted almost entirely to agricultural produce for their
food, as they would be in Guernsey if they lived there in any great
numbers.

The Wood Pigeon is mentioned by Professor Ansted and marked as only
occurring in Guernsey, and probably as far as breeding is concerned this
is right (of course with the exception of Jersey); but wandering flocks
probably occasionally visit Alderney as well. There is no specimen in
the Museum.

92. ROCK DOVE. _Columba livia_, Linnaeus. French, "Colombe biset."--I
have never seen the Rock Dove in any of the Islands, though there are
many places in all of them that would suit its habits well; and Mr.
MacCulloch writes to me to say, "I have heard that in times past the
Rock Pigeon used to breed in large numbers in the caves around Sark";
but this certainly is not the case at present. Captain Hubbach also
writes to me from Alderney, "There were some Rock Doves here in the
winters of 1862 and 1863; I shot two or three of them then." Probably a
few yet remain in both Alderney and Sark, though they certainly are not
at all numerous in either island.

Professor Ansted includes the Rock Dove in his list, and marks it as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen in the Museum.
Professor Ansted also includes the Stock Dove, _Columba aenas_,
Linnaeus, in his list as occurring in Guernsey and Sark; but I think he
must have done so on insufficient evidence, as I have never seen it and
not been able to gain any information about it; neither does Mr.
Gallienne say anything about it in his notes appended to the list; so on
the whole I think it better to omit it in my list; but as it may occur
at any time, especially as it is certainly increasing considerably in
numbers in the West of England, I may mention that it may be immediately
distinguished from the Rock Dove by the absence of the white rump, that
part being nearly the same colour as the back in the Stock Dove, and
from the Wood Pigeon, _Columba palumbus_, by its smaller size and the
entire absence of white on the wing. It is perhaps more necessary to
point out this difference, as the Stock Dove frequently goes by the name
of the Wood Pigeon; indeed Dresser has adopted this name for it, the
Wood Pigeon being called the Ring Dove, as is very frequently the case.

93. TURTLE DOVE. _Turtur vulgaris_, Eyton. French, "Colombe
tourterelle."--The Turtle Dove is a regular, but probably never very
numerous summer visitant, arriving and departing about the same time as
in England. Neither Miss Carey nor Mr. Couch ever mention it in their
notes on Guernsey birds in the 'Zoologist': and Mr. MacCulloch, writing
to me about the bird, does not go farther than to say "The Turtle Dove
has, I believe, been known to breed here." In June, 1866, however, I
shot one in very wild weather, flying across the bay at Vazon Bay; so
wild was the weather with drifting fog and rain that I did not know what
I had till I picked it up; in fact, when I shot it I thought it was some
wader, flying through the fog towards me. This summer (1878) I saw two
at Mr. Jago's which had been shot at Herm in May, just before I came;
and in June I saw one or two more about in Guernsey. The pair shot in
Herm would probably have bred in that island if they had been left
unmolested.

Professor Ansted mentions it in his list, but only as occurring in
Guernsey, and there is one specimen in the Museum.

94. QUAIL. _Coturnix communis_, Bonnaterre. French, "Caille."--I have
never seen the Quail in the Islands myself, and it cannot be considered
more than an occasional straggler; there can be no doubt, however, that
it sometimes remains to breed, as there are some eggs in the Museum
which I have reason to believe are Guernsey taken, and Mr. MacCulloch
writes me word that "Quails certainly visit us occasionally, and I
remember having seen their eggs in my youth"; and Mrs. Jago (late Miss
Cumber), who was herself a bird-stuffer in Guernsey a good many years
ago, told me she had had two Quails through her hands during the time
she had been stuffing; but evidently she had not had very many, nor did
she think them very common, as she did not know what they were when they
were brought to her, and she was some time before she found anyone to
tell her. The Quail breeds occasionally, too, in Alderney, as the
bird-stuffer and carpenter had some Quail's and Landrail's eggs; these
he told me he had taken out of the same nest which he supposed belonged
originally to the Landrail, as there were rather more Landrail's than
Quail's eggs in it.

Professor Ansted includes the Quail in his list, but marks it as
occurring only in Guernsey. There is a specimen in the Museum, and, as I
said before, several eggs.

95. WATER RAIL. _Rallus aquations_, Linnaeus. French, "Rale d'eau."--The
Water Rail is not very common in Guernsey, but a few occur about the
Braye Pond, and in other places suited to them; and, I believe,
occasionally remain to breed, as Mr. Jago, the bird-stuffer, told me he
had seen a pair of Water Rails and four young, his dog having started
them from a hedge near the Rousailleries farm; the young could scarcely
fly. I saw one at the bird-stuffer's at Alderney, which had been shot in
that Island; and the bird-stuffer told me they were common, and he
believed they bred there, but he had no eggs. Their number, however, is,
I think, rather increased in the autumn by migrants; at all events, more
specimens are brought to the bird-stuffers at that time of year. I have
before mentioned the incident of the Water Rail being killed by the
Merlin, recorded by Mr. Couch in the 'Zoologist' for 1875.

The Water Rail is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum.

96. SPOTTED CRAKE. _Porzana maruetta_, Leach. French, "Poule d'eau
marouette."--I have some doubt as to the propriety of including the
Spotted Crake in my list, but, on the whole, such evidence as I have
been able to collect seems in favour of its being at all events
occasionally seen and shot, though its small size and shy skulking
habits keep it very much from general notice. Mr. MacCulloch, however,
writes to me to say the Spotted Rail has been found here; and one of Mr.
De Putron's labourers described a Rail to me which he had shot in the
Vale Pond in May, 1877, which, from his description, could have been
nothing but a Spotted Rail.

This is all the information I have been able to glean, but Professor
Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey.
There are also two pretty good specimens in the Museum, which I have no
doubt were killed in Guernsey.

97. LANDRAIL. _Crex pratensis_, Bechstein. French, "Rale des pres,"
"Rale de terre" ou "de Genet," "Poule d'eau de genet."--The Landrail is
a common summer visitant, breeding certainly in Guernsey, Sark, and
Alderney,[16] and probably in Herm, though I cannot be quite so sure
about the latter Island. It seems to be rather more numerous in some
years than others, as occasionally I have heard them craking in almost
every field. But the last summer I was in the Islands (1878) I heard
very few. The Corn Crake arrives and departs much about the same time as
in England, and I have never been able to find that any stay on into the
winter, or even as late as November.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring
in Guernsey and Sark. There are two specimens in the Museum.

98. MOORHEN. _Gallinula chloropus_, Linnaeus. French, "Poule d'eau
ordinaire."--I have not seen the Moorhen myself in Guernsey, but Mr.
Couch, writing to me in December, 1876, told me that Mr. De Putron
informed him that Coots, Waterhens, and Little Grebes bred that year in
the Braye Pond; and Mr. De Putron, to whom I wrote on the subject, said
the information I had received was perfectly correct. I see no reason to
doubt the fact of the Moorhen occasionally breeding in Mr. De Putron's
pond, and perhaps in other places in the Island, especially the Grand
Mare. But I do not believe they breed regularly in either place; they
certainly did not in this last summer (1878), or I must have seen or
heard them. As far as Mr. De Putron's pond is concerned, I could not
have helped hearing their loud call or alarm note had only one pair been
breeding there; I have, however, a young bird of the year, killed in
Guernsey in November, 1878.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as only occurring
in Guernsey. There are two specimens in the Museum, probably both
Guernsey killed.

99. COMMON COOT. _Fulica atra_, Linnaeus. French, "Foulque," "Foulque
macroule."--In spite of Mr. De Putron's statement that the Coot bred in
the Braye Pond in the summer of 1876, I can scarcely look upon it in the
light of anything but an occasional and never numerous autumnal
visitant; and its breeding in the Braye Pond that year must have been
quite exceptional. In the autumn it occurs both in the Braye Pond and on
the coast in the more sheltered parts. I have the skin of one killed in
the Braye Pond in November, 1876, which might have been one of those
bred there that year.

Professor Ansted includes the Coot in his list, but only marks it as
occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen in the Museum.

100. LITTLE BUSTARD. _Otis tetrax_, Linnaeus. French, "Outarde
canepetiere," "Poule de Carthage."--The Little Bustard can only be
considered a very rare occasional visitant to the Channel Islands, and
very few instances of its occurrence have come under my notice. The
first was mentioned to me by Mr. MacCulloch, who wrote me word that a
Little Bustard was killed in Guernsey in 1865, but unfortunately he
gives no information as to the time of the year. Another was shot by a
farmer in Guernsey early in March, 1866, and was recorded by myself in
the 'Zoologist' for that year. Mr. Couch also recorded one in the
'Zoologist' for 1875, "as having been shot at the back of St. Andrew's
(very near the place where one was shot fifteen years ago) on the 20th
of November, 1874." This bird is now in the possession of Mr. Le Mottee,
at whose house I saw it, and was informed that it had been shot at a
place called the Eperons, in the parish of St. Andrew's, on the date
above mentioned. These are all the instances of the occurrence of the
Little Bustard in the Channel Islands that I have been able to gain any
intelligence of, but they are sufficient to show that although by no
means a common visitant, it does occasionally occur on both spring and
autumn migration.

It is not included in Professor Ansted's list. There is, however, a
specimen in the Museum, which I was told, when I saw it in 1866, had
been killed the previous year, but there is no date of the month, and I
should think, from the state of plumage, it was an autumn-killed
specimen: it is still in the Museum, as I saw it there again this year,
1878. This is probably the bird mentioned by Mr. MacCulloch as killed in
1865, and also very likely the one spoken of by Mr. Couch, in 1875, as
having been killed in St. Andrew's fifteen years ago; but there seems to
have been some mistake as to Mr. Couch's date for this one, as, had it
been killed so long ago as 1860, it would in all probability have been
included in Professor Ansted's list, and mentioned by Mr. Gallienne in
his remarks on some of the birds included in the list.

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