Birds of Guernsey Part 2

21. DIPPER. _Cinclus aquaticus_, Bechstein. French, "Aqua.s.siere,"

"Cincle plongeur."--The Dipper or Water Ouzel, though not very common, less so, indeed, than the Kingfisher, is nevertheless a resident species, finding food all through the year in the clear pools left by the tide, and also frequenting the few inland ponds, especially the rather large ones, belonging to Mr. De Putron in the Vale, where there is always a Dipper or a Kingfisher to be seen, though I do not think the Dipper ever breeds about those ponds--in fact there is no place there which would suit it; but though I have never found the nest myself in Guernsey, I have been informed, especially by Mr. Gallienne, that the Dipper makes use of some of the rocky bays, forming his nest amongst the rocks as it would on the streams of Dartmoor and Exmoor.

Captain Hubboch, however, writes me word he saw one in Alderney in the winter of 1861-62, and there seems no reason why a few should not remain there throughout the year as in Guernsey.

All the Guernsey Dippers I have seen, including the two in the Museum, which are probably Guernsey-killed, have been the common form, _Cinclus_ _aquations_. The dark-breasted form, _Cinclus melanogaster_, may occur as an occasional wanderer, though the Channel Islands are somewhat out of its usual range. There being no trout or salmon to be protected in Guernsey, the Dipper has not to dread the persecution of wretched keepers who falsely imagine that it must live entirely by the destruction of salmon and trout ova, though the contrary has been proved over and over again.

Professor Ansted includes the Dipper in his list, but only marks it as occurring in Guernsey.

22. MISTLETOE THRUSH. _t.u.r.dus viscivorus_, Linnaeus. French, "Merle Draine," "Grive Draine."--I quite agree with the remarks made by Professor Newton, in his edition of 'Yarrell,' as to the proper English name of the present species, and that it ought to be called the Mistletoe Thrush. I am afraid, however, that the shorter appellation of Missel Thrush will stick to this bird in spite of all attempts to the contrary. In Guernsey the local name of the Mistletoe Thrush is "Geai,"

by which name Mr. Metivier mentions it in his 'Dictionary of Guernsey and Norman French.' He also adds that the Jay does not exist in this Island. This is to a certain extent confirmed by Mr. MacCulloch, who says he is very doubtful as to the occurrence of the Jay in the Island, and adds that the local name for the Mistletoe Thrush is "Geai." Mr.

Gallienne, in a note to Professor Ansted's list, confirms the scarcity of the Jay, as he says the Rook and the Jay are rarely seen here, although they are indigenous to Jersey. The local name "Geai" may perhaps have misled him as to the occasional appearance of the Jay. I have never seen a real Jay in Guernsey myself.

As far as I am able to judge from occasional visits to the Island for the last thirty years the Mistletoe Thrush has greatly increased in numbers in Guernsey, especially within the last few years, and Mr.

MacCulloch and others who are resident in the Island quite agree with me in this. I do not think its numbers are much increased at any time of year by migrants, though a few foreigners may arrive in the autumn, at which time of year considerable numbers of Mistletoe Thrushes are brought into the Guernsey market, where they may be seen hanging in bunches with Common Thrushes, Redwings, Blackbirds, Fieldfares, Starlings, and an occasional Ring Ouzel. Fieldfares and Mistletoe Thrushes usually sell at fourpence each, the rest at fourpence a couple.

Professor Ansted mentions it in his list, but confines it to Guernsey and Sark. This is certainly not now the case, as I have seen it nearly as numerous in Alderney and Herm as any of the other Islands. There is a specimen in the Museum.

23. SONG THRUSH. _t.u.r.dus musicus_, Linnaeus. French, "Grive," "Merle Grive."--Very common and resident in all the Islands, and great is the destruction of snails by Thrushes and Blackbirds--in fact, nowhere have I seen such destruction as in the Channel Islands, especially in Guernsey and Herm, where every available stone seems made use of, and to considerable purpose, to judge from the number of snail-sh.e.l.ls to be found about; and yet the gardeners complain quite as much of damage to their gardens, especially in the fruit season, by Blackbirds and Thrushes, as the English gardeners and seem equally unready to give these birds any credit for the immense destruction of snails, which, if left alone, would scarcely have left a green thing in the garden.

The local name of the Thrush is "Mauvis." It is, of course, included in Professor Ansted's list, but with the Fieldfare, Redwing, and Blackbird, marked as only occurring in Guernsey and Sark. All these birds, however, are equally common in Alderney, Herm, and Jethou. There is also a specimen of each in the Museum.

24. REDWING. _t.u.r.dus iliacus_, Linnaeus. French, "Grive mauvis," "Merle mauvis."--A regular and numerous winter visitant to all the Islands, arriving about the end of October, and those that are not shot and brought into the market departing again in March and April.

25. FIELDFARE. _t.u.r.dus pilaris_, Linnaeus. French, "Grive litorne,"

"Merle litorne."--Like the Redwing, the Fieldfare is a regular and numerous winter visitant, and arrives and departs about the same time.

When in Guernsey in November, 1871, I did not see either Redwings or Fieldfares till a few days after my arrival on the 1st; after that both species were numerous, and a few days later plenty of them might be seen hanging up in the market with the Thrushes and Blackbirds, but for the first few days there were none to be seen there. Probably this was rather a late year, as neither bird could have arrived in any numbers till the first week in November, and in all probability not till towards the end of the week.

26. BLACKBIRD. _t.u.r.dus merula_, Linnaeus. French, "Merle noir."--- The Blackbird is a common and numerous resident in all the Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. The Guernsey gardeners, like their brethren in England, make a great fuss about the mischief done by Blackbirds in the gardens, and no doubt Blackbirds, like the Golden Orioles, are "grand gobeurs" of many kinds of fruit; but the gardeners should remember that they are equally "grand gobeurs" of many kinds of insects as well, many of the most mischievous insects to the garden, including wasps (I have myself several times found wasps in the stomach of the blackbird) forming a considerable portion of their food, the young also being almost entirely fed upon worms, caterpillars, and grubs; and when we remember that it is only for a short time of the year that the Blackbird can feed on fruit, which in most cases can be protected by a little care, and that during the whole of the other portion of the year it feeds on insects which would do more damage in the garden than itself, it will be apparent that the gardener has really no substantial ground of complaint.

As in England, variations in the plumage of the Blackbird are not uncommon. I have one Guernsey specimen of a uniform fawn colour, and another rather curiously marked with grey, the tail-feathers being striped across grey and black. This is a young bird recently out of the nest, and I have no doubt would, after a moult or two, have come to its proper plumage, probably after the first moult, as seems to me frequently the case with varieties of this sort, though I have known a Blackbird show a good deal af white year after year in the winter, resuming its proper plumage in the summer; and Mr. Jago mentions a case of a Blackbird which pa.s.sed through his hands which was much marked with grey. This bird was found dead, and the owner of the estate on which it was found informed Mr. Jago that it had frequented his place for four years, and that he had seen it with its mate during the summer; so in this case the variation certainly seems to have been permanent.

27. RING OUZEL. _t.u.r.dus torquatus_, Linnaeus. French, "Merle a plastron."--I do not think the Ring Ouzel is ever as common in the Channel Islands as it is on migration in South Devon. A few, however, make their appearance in each of the Islands every autumn, but they are never very numerous, and do not remain very long, arriving generally about the end of September and remaining till the end of November or beginning of December, during which time a few may always be seen hung up in the market. Many of the autumnal arrivals are young birds of the year, with the white crescent on the breast nearly wanting or only very faintly marked.

Mr. Gallienne, in his remarks appended to Professor Ansted's list, says the Ring Ouzel stays with us throughout the year, but is more plentiful in winter than in summer. But I have never myself seen one either dead or alive in the spring or summer. It may, however, occasionally visit the Island in the spring migration, but I know of no authentic instance of its remaining to breed, nor have I seen the eggs in any Guernsey collection. I have seen specimens of the Ring Ouzel from Alderney, and it appears to me about equally common at the same time of year in all the Islands. Mr. MacCulloch, however, writes to me:--"From what I have heard the Ring Ouzel is more common in Alderney than Guernsey, where it is seen mostly on the southern cliffs." The south end of the Island is no doubt its favourite resort in Guernsey. As far as Alderney is concerned Captain Hubback, R.A., who has been quartered there at different times, says he has never seen one there; but I do not think he has been much there in the early autumn.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are several, both male and female and young, in the Guernsey Museum.

28. HBDGESPARROW. _Accentor modularis_, Linnaeus. French, "Mouchet,"

"Traine buisson," "Accenteur mouchet."--The Hedgesparrow is, I think, quite as common as in England, and resident throughout the year in all the Islands. According to Mr. Metivier's 'Dictionary' its local name is "Verdeleu," and he describes it as "Oiseau qui couvre les oeufs de Coucou." In Guernsey, however, Cuckoos are much too numerous for the Hedgesparrow to afford accommodation for them all.

Professor Ansted mentions the Hedgesparrow in his list, but restricts it to Guernsey and Sark. I have, however, frequently seen it in Alderney and Herm, and the little Island of Jethou.

29. ROBIN. _Ericathus rubecula_, Linnaeus. French. "Bec-fin rouge-gorge," "Rouge gorge." The Robin, like the Hedgesparrow, is a common resident in all the Islands, and I cannot find that its numbers are increased at any time of year by migration. But on the other hand I should think a good many of the young must be driven off to seek quarters elsewhere by their most pugnacious parents, for of all birds the Robin is by far the most pugnacious with which I am acquainted, and deserves the name of "pugnax" much more than the Ruff, and in a limited s.p.a.ce like Jethou and Herm battles between the old and the young would be constant unless some of the young departed altogether from the Island.

Professor Ansted includes the Robin in his list, but, as with the Hedgesparrow, only mentions it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. It is, however, equally common in Alderney, Jethou, and Herm.

30. REDSTART. _Ruticilla phoenicurus_, Linnaeus. French, "Rouge-queue,"

"Bec-fin des murailles."--I should not have included the Redstart in this list, as I have never seen it in the Islands myself, but on sending a list of the birds I intended to include to Mr. MacCulloch, he wrote to say--"You mention t.i.thy's Redstart; the common one is also seen here." In consequence of this information I looked very sharply out for the birds during the two months (June and July) which I was in Guernsey this year (1878), but I never once saw the bird in any of the Islands, nor could I find any one who had; and such a conspicuous and generally well known bird could hardly have escaped observation had it been in the Island in any numbers. I may add that I have had the same bad luck in all my former visits to the Islands, and never seen a Redstart. I suppose, however, from Mr. MacCulloch's note that it occasionally visits the Islands for a short time on migration, very few, if any, remaining to breed.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey. There is, however, no specimen at present in the Museum.

31. BLACK REDSTART. _Ruticilla t.i.tys_, Scopoli. French, "Rouge queue t.i.thys."--The Black, or t.i.thys Redstart, as it is sometimes called, is a regular and by no means uncommon autumnal visitant to Guernsey. It seems very much to take the place of the Wheatear, arriving about the time the Wheatear departs, and mostly frequenting the same places. In Guernsey it is most common near the sea about the low part of the Island, from L'ancresse Common to Perrelle Bay. In habits it puts one very much in mind of the Wheatear, being very fond, like that bird, of selecting some big stone or some other conspicuous place to perch on and keep a look-out either for intruders or for some pa.s.sing insect, either flying or creeping, for it is an entirely insect-feeding bird.

I have never seen the Black Redstart about the high part of the Island amongst the rocks, which I am rather surprised at, as in the south coast of Devon it seems particularly partial to high cliffs and rocks, such as the Parson and Clerk Rock near Teignmouth; but in Guernsey the wild gra.s.sy commons, with scattered rocks and large boulders, and occasionally a rough pebbly beach, especially the upper part of it where the pebbles join the gra.s.s, seem more the favourite resort of this bird than the high rocks, such places probably being more productive of food.

It is of course quite useless to look for this bird in the interior of the Island in gardens and orchards, and such places as one would naturally look for the Common Redstart.

The male Black Redstart may be immediately distinguished from the Common Redstart by the black breast and belly, and by the absence of the white mark on the forehead. The male Black Redstart has also a white patch on the wing caused by the pale, nearly white, margins of the feathers. The females are more alike, but still may easily be distinguished, the general colour of the female Black Redstart being much duller--a dull smoke-brown instead of the reddish brown of the Common Redstart.

Some slight variations of plumage take place in the Black Redstart at different ages and seasons, which have led to some little difficulties, and to another supposed species, _Ruticilla cairii_ of Gerbe being suggested, but apparently quite without reason. I have never seen the Black Redstart in the Islands at any time of year except the autumn, and do not know of its occurrence at any other time.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, but gives no locality; and there is no specimen in the Museum.

32. STONECHAT. _Pratincola rubicola_, Linnaeus. French, "Tarier rubicole," "Traquet patre," "Traquet rubicole."--The Stonechat is a numerous and regular summer visitant, breeding in all the Islands, but I do not think any remain throughout the winter; of course a few scattered birds may occasionally do so in some sheltered locality, but I have never seen one in the Islands as late as November. Both in the Vale and on the Cliffs in the higher part of the Island the Stonechat is very common, and the gay little bird, with its bright plumage and sprightly manner, may be seen on the top of every furze bush, or on a conspicuous twig in a hedge in the wilder parts of the Island, but is not so common in the inland and more cultivated parts, being less frequently seen on the hedges by the roadside than it is here, Somersets.h.i.+re, or in many counties in England. In Alderney it is quite as common as in Guernsey, and I saw two nests this year (1878) amongst the long gra.s.s growing on the earthworks near the Artillery Barracks; it is equally common also both in Jethou, Sark, and Herm.

There were a great many Stonechats in the Vale when I was there this year (1878). Generally they seemed earlier in their breeding proceedings than either Wheatears, Tree Pipits, or Sky Larks, which were the three other most numerous birds about that part of the Island, as there were several young ones about when we first went to live in the Vale early in June; still occasionally nests with eggs more or less hard sat might be found, but the greater number were hatched when fresh eggs of Tree Pipits and Sky Larks were by no means uncommon.

Professor Ansted includes the Stonechat in his list, but marks it as confined to Guernsey and Sark. There is a specimen in the Museum.

33. WHINCHAT. _Pratincola rubetra_, Linnaeus. French, "Tarier ordinaire," "Traquet tarier."--The Whinchat seems to me never so numerous as the Stonechat, and more local in its distribution during the time it is in the Islands. It is only a summer visitant, and I doubt if it always remains to breed, though it certainly does so occasionally, as I have seen it in Guernsey through June and July mostly in the south part of the Island, near Pleimont. In my last visit to the Islands, however, in June and July, 1878, I did not see the Whinchat anywhere, neither did I see one when there in June, 1876.

Professor Ansted includes the Whinchat in his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen in the Museum.

34. WHEATEAR. _Saxicola Oenanthe,_ Linnaeus. French, "Motteux cul blanc," "Traquet moteux."--A very common summer visitant to all the Islands, arriving in March and departing again in October, none remaining through the winter--at least, I have never seen a Wheatear in the Islands as late as November on any occasion. In the Vale, where a great many breed, the young began to make their appearance out of the nest and flying about, but still fed by their parents, about the 16th of June. In Guernsey it is rather locally distributed, being common all round the coast, both on the high and low part of the Island, but only making its appearance in the cultivated part in the interior as an occasional straggler. It is quite as common in Alderney and the other Islands as it is in Guernsey, in Alderney there being few or no enclosures, and no hedgerow timber. It is more universally distributed over the whole Island, in the cultivated as well as the wild parts.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, but marks it as only occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are several specimens in the Museum, but I did not see any eggs either there or in young Le Cheminant's collection.

This is probably because in Guernsey the Wheatear has a great partiality for laying its eggs under large slabs and boulders of granite perfectly immovable; the stones forming one of the Druids' altars in the Vale, were made use of to cover a nest when I was there.

35. REED WARBLER. _Acrocephalus streperus_, Vieillot. French, "Rousserolle effarvatte," "Bec-fin des roseaux."--I did not find out the Reed Warbler as a Guernsey bird till this year (1878), though it is a rather numerous but very local summer visitant. But Mr. MacCulloch put me on the right track, as he wrote to me to say--"The Reed Warbler builds in the Grand Mare. I have seen several of their curious hanging nests brought from there." This put me on the right scent, and I went to the place as soon as I could, and found parts of it a regular paradise for Reed Warblers, and there were a considerable number there, who seemed to enjoy the place thoroughly, climbing to the tops of the long reeds and singing, then flying up after some pa.s.sing insect, or dropping like a stone to the bottom of the reed-bed if disturbed or frightened. On my first visit to the Grand Mare I had not time to search the reed-beds for nests. But on going there a second time, on June 17, with Colonel l'Estrange, we had a good search for nests, and soon found one with four eggs in it which were quite fresh. This nest was about three feet from the ground, tied on to four reeds,[9] and, as usual, having no support at the bottom, was made entirely of long dry bents of rather coa.r.s.e gra.s.s, and a little of the fluff of the cotton plant woven amongst the bents outside, but none inside. We did not find any other nests in the Grand Mare, though we saw a great many more birds; the reeds, however, were very thick and tall, high over our heads, so that when we were a few feet apart we could not see each other, and the place was full of pitfalls with deep water in them, which were very difficult to be seen and avoided. Many of the nests, I suspect, were amongst the reeds which were growing out of the water. Subsequently, on July the 12th, I found another Reed Warbler's nest amongst some reeds growing by Mr. De Putron's pond near the Vale Church; this nest, which was attached to reeds of the same kind as those at the Grand Mare, growing out of water about a foot deep: it was about the same height above the water that the other was from the ground; it had five eggs in it hard sat.

There were one or two pairs more breeding amongst these reeds, though I could not very well get at the place without a boat, but the birds were very noisy and vociferous whenever I got near their nests, as were the pair whose nest I found. There were also a few pairs in some reed-beds of the same sort near L'Eree.

These are all the places in which I have been able to find the Reed Warbler in Guernsey. I have not found it myself in Alderney, but Mr.

Gallienne, in his remarks published with Professor Ansted's list, says:--"I have put the Reed Wren as doubtful for Guernsey, but I have seen the nest of this bird found at Alderney." In the list itself it is marked as belonging to Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark.