"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 Tithy'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 titys_, Scopoli. French, "Rouge queue
Tithys."--The Black, or Tithys 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 passing 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
grassy commons, with scattered rocks and large boulders, and
occasionally a rough pebbly beach, especially the upper part of it where
the pebbles join the grass, 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 pâtre," "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, Somersetshire, 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 grass 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 passing 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 coarse grass, 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.
The Reed Warbler, though entirely insectivorous, is a very tame and
amusing cage-bird, and may easily be fed on raw meat chopped fine and a
little hard-boiled egg; but its favourite food is flies, and of these it
will eat any quantity, and woe even to the biggest bluebottle that may
buzz through its cage, for the active little bird will have it in a
moment, and after a few sharp snaps of the beak there is quite an end of
the bluebottle. Daddy long-legs, too, are favourite morsels, and after a
little beating about disappear down the bird's throat--legs, wings, and
all, without any difficulty. The indigestible parts are afterwards cast
up in pellets in the same manner as with Hawks.
I have never seen the nearly-allied and very similar Marsh Warbler,
_Acrocephalus palustris_, in Guernsey, but, as it may occasionally
occur, it may be as well perhaps to point out what little distinction
there is between the species. This seems to me to consist chiefly in the
difference of colour, the Reed Warbler, _Acrocephalus streperus_, at all
ages and in all states of plumage, being a warmer, redder brown than
_Acrocephalus palustris_, which is always more or less tinged with
green. The legs in _A. streperus_ are always darker than in _A.
palustris_; the beak also in _A. palustris_ seems rather broader at the
base and thicker. This bird also has a whitish streak over the eye,
which seems wanting in _A. streperus._ These distinctions seem to me
always to hold, good even in specimens which have been kept some time
and have faded to what has now generally got the name of "Museum
colour."
Mr. Dresser, in his 'Birds of Europe,' points out another distinction
which no doubt is a good one in adult birds with their quills fully
grown, but fails in young birds and in adults soon after the moult,
before the quills are fully grown, and also before the moult if any
quills have been shed and not replaced. This distinction is that in _A.
streperus_ the second (that is the first long quill, for the first in
both species is merely rudimentary) is shorter than the fourth, and in
_A. palustris_ it is longer.
Though I think it not at all improbable that the Marsh Warbler,
_Acrocephalus palustris_, may occur in Guernsey, I should not expect to
find it so much in the wet reed-beds in the Grand Mare and at the Vale
pond as amongst the lilac bushes and ornamental shrubs in the gardens,
or in thick bramble bushes in hedgerows and places of that sort.
36. SEDGE WARBLER. _Acrocephalus schoenobaenus_, Linnaeus. French,
"Bee-fin phragmite."--The Sedge Warbler is by no means so common as the
Reed Warbler, though, like it, it is a summer visitant, and is quite as
local. I did not see any amongst the reeds which the Reed Warbler
delighted in, but I saw a few amongst some thick willow hedges with
thick grass and rushes growing by the side of the bank, and a small
running stream in each ditch. Though perfectly certain the birds were
breeding near, we could not find the nests. So well were they hidden
amongst the thick grass and herbage by the side of the stream that
Colonel l'Estrange and myself were quite beaten in our search for the
nest, though we saw the birds several times quite near enough to be
certain of their identity. I did not shoot one for the purpose of
identification, as perhaps I ought to have done, but I thought if I shot
one it would be extremely doubtful whether I should ever find it amongst
the thick tangle--certainly unless quite dead there would not have been
a chance. I felt quite certain, however, that all I saw were Sedge
Warblers; had I felt any doubt as to the possibility of one of them
turning out to be the Aquatic Warbler, _Acrocephalus aquaticus_, I
should certainly have tried the effect of a shot. As it is quite
possible, however, that the Aquatic Warbler may occasionally, or perhaps
regularly, in small numbers, visit the Channel Islands, as they are
quite within its geographical range, I may point out, for the benefit of
any one into whose hands it may fall, that it may easily be
distinguished from the Sedge Warbler by the pale streak passing through
the centre of the dark crown of the head.
The Sedge Warbler is not mentioned by Professor Ansted in his list, and
there is no specimen of either this or the Reed Warbler in the Museum.
37. DARTFORD WARBLER. _Melizophilus undatus,_ Boddaert. French, "Pitchou
Provencal," "Bee-fin Pittechou."--The Dartford Warbler is by no means
common in the Channel Islands--indeed I have never seen one there
myself, but Miss C.B. Carey records one in the 'Zoologist' for 1874 as
having been knocked down with a stone in the April of that year and
brought into Couch's shop, where she saw it. I have no doubt of the
correctness of this identification, as Miss Carey knew the bird well. I
see no reason why it should not be more common in Guernsey than is
usually supposed, as there are many places well suited to it, but its
rather dull plumage, and its habit of hiding itself in thick
furze-bushes, and creeping from one to another as soon as disturbed,
contribute to keep it much out of sight, unless one knows and can
imitate its call-note, in which case the male bird will soon answer and
flutter up to the topmost twig of the furze-bush in which it may have
previously been concealed, fluttering its wings, and repeating the call
until again disturbed. This is the only occurrence of which I am aware
in any of the Islands, included in the limits I have prescribed for
myself; but Mr. Harvie Brown has recorded two seen by him near Grève de
Lecq, in Jersey, in January. See 'Zoologist' for 1869, p. 1561.
It is not included in Professor Ansted's list, and there is no specimen
in the Museum.
38. WHITETHROAT. _Sylvia rufa_, Boddaert. French, "Fauvette grise,"
"Bec-fin Grisette."--The Whitethroat has hitherto perhaps been better
known by the name used in the former edition of 'Yarrell' and by Messrs.
Degland and Gerbe, _Curruca cinerea_, but in consequence of the
inexorable rule of the British Association the name "_rufa_," given by
Boddaert in 1783, has now been accepted for this bird. I have not
generally thought it necessary to point out these changes, but in this
instance it seemed necessary to do so, as in the former edition of
'Yarrell' the Chiffchaff was called by the name _Sylvia rufa_, and this
might possibly have caused some confusion unless the change had been
pointed out.
The Whitethroat is by no means so common in the Channel Islands as it is
in England, and though a regular summer visitant it only makes its
appearance in small numbers. A few, however, may be seen about the
fields and hedgerows in the more cultivated parts of the country. It
certainly has not got the reputation for mischief in the garden it has
in England, as none of the gardeners I asked about it, and who were
complaining grievously of the mischief done by birds, ever mentioned the
Whitethroat, or knew the bird when asked about it.
Professor Ansted includes the bird in his list, and restricts it to
Guernsey, but I see no reason why it should not occur equally in Sark
and Herm. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.
39. LESSER WHITETHROAT. _Sylvia curruca_, Linnaeus. French, "Bee-fin
babillard."--Like the Whitethroat, the Lesser Whitethroat is a regular,
but by no means a numerous summer visitant to Guernsey. I saw a few in
the willow-hedges about the Grand Mare, and in one or two other places
near there, and young Le Cheminant had one or two eggs in his
collection, probably taken about L'Eree.
The Lesser Whitethroat is included in Professor Ansted's list, and only
marked as occurring in Guernsey. There is at present no specimen in the
Museum.
40. BLACKCAP. _Sylvia atricapilla_, Linnaeus. French, "Fauvette à tête
noire," "Bec-fin à tête noire."--Though generally known as the Guernsey
Nightingale, the Blackcap, though a regular, is by no means a numerous
summer visitant. I have, however, always seen a few about every time I
have been in the Island in the summer. There are a few eggs in the
Museum, and in Le Cheminant's collection.
The Blackcap is mentioned by Professor Ansted in his list, and
restricted to Guernsey. There is only one specimen--a female--at present
in the Museum.
41. WILLOW WREN. _Phylloscopus trochilus_, Linnaeus. French, "Bee-fin
Pouillat."--The Willow Wren is a tolerably numerous summer visitant, I
believe, to all the Islands, though I have only seen it myself in
Guernsey and Sark. In Guernsey I have seen it about the Grand Mare, and
in some trees near the road about St. George, and about the Vallon on
the other side of the Island. It remains all the summer and breeds.
Professor Ansted has not included it in his list, although it seems
tolerably well known, and has a local name "D'mouâiselle," which Mr.
Métivier, in his 'Dictionary,' applies to the Willow Wren of the
English. This name, however, is probably equally applicable to the
Chiffchaff.
42. CHIFFCHAFF. _Phylloscopus collybita_, Vieillot. French, "Bee-fin
veloce."--The Chiffchaff is certainly more common in Guernsey than the
Willow Wren. In Guernsey I have seen it in several places; about Candie,
where a pair had a nest this summer in the mowing-grass before the
house; near the Vallon; and about St. George. I have also seen it in
Sark, but not in either of the other Islands, though no doubt it occurs
in Herm, if not in Alderney.
It is mentioned by Professor Ansted as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. I
have never seen the Wood Wren in Guernsey, and, judging from its
favourite habitations here in Somerset, I should not think it at all
likely to remain in the Channel Islands through the summer, though an
occasional straggler may touch the Islands on migration. There is no
specimen of either the Chiffchaff or Willow Wren in the Museum.
43. GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. _Regulus cristatus_, Koch. French, "Roitelet
ordinaire."--The Golden-crest is resident in the Islands, but not very
numerous, and I doubt if its numbers are regularly increased in the
autumn by migrants, as is the case in the Eastern Counties of England.
Migratory flocks, however, sometimes make their appearance; and Mr.
MacCulloch writes to me--"The Golden-crest occasionally comes over in
large flocks, apparently from Normandy, flying before bad weather. This,
however, cannot be said to have been the cause of the large flight that
appeared here so recently as the last days in April," 1878. This flock
was mentioned in the 'Star' of April the 27th as follows:--"A countryman
informs us that a few days since, whilst he was at L'ancresse Common, he
saw several flocks of these smallest of British birds, numbering many
hundreds in each, settle in different parts of the Common before
dispersing over the Island. In verification of his words he showed us
two or three of these tiny songsters which he had succeeded in knocking
down with a stick." This large migratory flock had entirely disappeared
from L'ancresse Common when we went to live there for two months in May
of the same year; there was not then a Golden Crest to be seen about the
Common. The whole flock had probably resumed their journey together,
none of them having "dispersed over" or remained in the Island, and
certainly, as far as I could judge, the numbers in other parts of the
Island had not increased beyond what was usual and one might ordinarily
expect. I have not been able to learn that the migratory flock above
spoken of extended to any of the other Islands.
The Golden-crested Wren is mentioned by Professor Ansted, and marked as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are two--a male and female--in the
Museum.
44. FIRE-CRESTED WREN. _Regulus ignicapillus_, C.L. Brehm. French,
"Roitelet a triple bandeau."--I have a pair of these killed in Guernsey
about 1872, but I have not the exact date; and Mr. Couch, who knew the
Fire-crested Wren well, writing to me on the 23rd of March, 1877,
says:--"I had the head and part of a Fire-crest female brought me by a
young lady. She told me her brother knocked down two, and the other had
a beautiful red and gold crest; so it must have been the male." As Mr.
Couch knew both the Goldcrest and Fire-crest well, and the distinction
between them, I have no doubt he rightly identified the bird which was
brought to him. These and the pair in my collection are the only
Guernsey specimens I can be certain of.
The 'Star' newspaper, however, in the note above quoted as to the
migratory flock of Golden-crests, says:--"It may be a fact hitherto
unknown to many of our readers that the Fire-crested Wren, very similar
in appearance to the Golden-crested Wren, is not very uncommon in our
Island. The Fire-crested Wren so closely resembles its _confrère_, the
Golden-crested Wren, that only a practised eye can distinguish the
difference between them." I do not quite agree with the 'Star' as to the
Fire-crest not being "very uncommon," though it occasionally occurs. I
do not think it can be considered as anything but a rare occasional
straggler. And this from its geographical distribution, which is rather
limited, is what one would expect; it is not very common on the nearest
coast of France or England, though it occasionally occurs about Torbay,
which is not very far distant.
The name Fire-crest has probably led to many mistakes between this bird
and the Golden-crest, as a brightly-coloured male Gold-crest has the
golden part of the crest quite as bright and as deeply coloured as the
Fire-crest; and the female Fire-crest has a crest not a bit more deeply
coloured than the female Gold-crest. In point of fact the colour of the
crest is of no value whatever in distinguishing between the birds, and
the "practised eye" would find itself puzzled if it only relied upon
that.
The French name for the Fire-crest, however, "Roitelet à triple
bandeau," is much more descriptive, as under the golden part of the
crest there is a streak of black, and under that again a streak of white
over the eye, and a streak of black through the eye; there is also a
streak, or rather perhaps a spot of white, under the eye. The Gold-crest
has only the streak of black immediately under the gold crest; below
that the whole of the side of the face and the space immediately
surrounding the eye is a uniform dull olive-green. If this distinction
is once known and attended to the difference between the two birds may
be immediately detected by even the unpractised eye.