Chapter 2

1. WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. _Haliaeetus albicilla_, Linnsaeus. French, "Aigle pygarque," "Pygarque ordinaire."--The White-tailed Eagle is an occasional but by no means uncommon visitant to all the Islands. I have seen specimens from Alderney, Guernsey, and Herm, and have heard of its having been killed in Sark more than once. It usually occurs in the autumn, and, as a rule, has a very short lease of life after its arrival in the Islands, which is not to be wondered at, as it is considered, and no doubt is, mischievous both to sheep and poultry; and in so thickly populated a country, where every one carries a gun, a large bird like the White-tailed Eagle can hardly escape notice and consequent destruction for any length of time. It might, however, if unmolested, occasionally remain throughout the winter, and probably sometimes wanders to the Islands at that time, as Mr. Harvie Brown records ('Zoologist' for 1869, p. 1591) one as having been killed, poisoned by strychnine, in Herm in the month of January. This was, no doubt, a late winter visitant, as it is hardly possible that the bird can have escaped for so long a time, as it would have done had it visited the Islands at its usual time, October or November. All the Channel Island specimens of the White-tailed Eagle which I have seen have been young birds of the first or second year, in the immature plumage in which the bird is known as the Sea Eagle of Bewick, and in which it is occasionally mistaken for the Golden Eagle, which bird has never, I believe, occurred in the Islands. Of course in the adult plumage, when this bird has its white tail and head, no such mistake could occur, but in the immature plumage in which the bird usually makes its appearance such a mistake does occasionally happen, and afterwards it becomes difficult to convince the owner that he has not a Golden Eagle; in fact he usually feels rather insulted when told of his mistake, and ignores all suggestions of anything like an infallible test, so it may be as well to mention that the birds may be distinguished in any state of plumage and at any age by the tarsus, which in the White-tailed Eagle is bare of feathers and in the Golden Eagle is feathered to the junction of the toes. I have one in my possession shot at Bordeaux harbour on the 14th of November, 1871, and I saw one in the flesh at Mr. Couch's, the bird-stuffer, which had been shot at Alderney on the 2nd of November in the same year; and Mr. MacCulloch writes to me that one was wounded and taken alive in the parish of the Forest in Guernsey in 1845. It was said to be one of a pair, and he adds--"I have known several instances of its appearance since both here (Guernsey) and in Herm," but unluckily he gives no dates and could not remember at what time of year any of the occurrences he had noted had taken place. This is to be regretted, as although the bird occurs almost every autumn--indeed, so frequently as to render mention of further instances of its occurrence at that time of year unnecessary--its occurrence in the spring is rare, and some of those noted by Mr. MacCulloch might have been at that time of year. As it is, I only know of one spring occurrence, and that was reported to me by Mr. Couch as having taken place at Herm on the 23rd of March, 1877.

The White-tailed Eagle is included in Professor Ansted's list, but its range in the Islands is restricted to Guernsey. There is one in the museum, probably killed in Guernsey, in the plumage in which the Channel Island specimens usually occur, but no note is given as to locality or date.

2. OSPREY. _Pandion halioeetus_, Linnaeus. French, "Balbusard."--I have never met with the Osprey myself in the Channel Islands, nor have I, as far as I remember, seen a Channel Island specimen. I include it, however, on the authority of a note kindly sent to me by Mr. MacCulloch, who says:--"An Osprey was shot at St. Samsons, in Guernsey, on the 29th of October, 1868. I cannot, however, say whether at the time it was examined by a competent naturalist, and as both the Osprey and the White-tailed Eagle are fishers, a mistake may have been made in naming it." Of course such a mistake as suggested is possible, but as the Guernsey fishermen and gunners, especially the St. Samsons men, are well acquainted with the White-tailed Eagle, I should not think it probable that the mistake had been made. The bird, however, cannot be considered at all common in the Islands; there is no specimen in the Guernsey Museum, and Mr. Couch has never mentioned to me having had one through his hands, or recorded it in the 'Zoologist,' as he would have done had he had one; neither does Mrs. Jago (late Miss Cumber), who used to do a good deal of stuffing in Guernsey about thirty years ago, remember having had one through her hands. There can be no reason, however, why it should not occasionally occur in the Islands, as it does so both on the French and English side of the Channel. The wonder rather is that it is so rare as it appears to be.

The Osprey, however, is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and only marked as occurring in Guernsey.

3. GREENLAND FALCON. _Falco candicans_, Gmelin.--I was much surprised on my last visit to Alderney, on the 27th of June, 1878, on going into a small carpenter's shop in the town, whose owner, besides being a carpenter, is also an amateur bird-stuffer, though of the roughest description, to find, amongst the dust of his shop, not only the Purple Heron, which I went especially to see, and which is mentioned afterwards, but a young Greenland Falcon which he informed me had been shot in that island about eighteen months ago. This statement was afterwards confirmed by the person who shot the bird, who was sent for and came in whilst I was still in the shop. Unfortunately, neither the carpenter nor his friend who shot the bird had made any note of the date, and could only remember that the one had shot the bird in that Island about eighteen months ago and the other had stuffed it immediately after. This would bring it to the winter of 1876-77, or, more probably, the late autumn of 1876. In the course of conversation it appeared to me that the Snow Falcon--as they called this bird--was not entirely unknown to the carpenter or his friend, though neither could remember at the time another instance of one having been killed in that Island. It is, however, by no means improbable that either this species or the next mentioned, or both, may have occurred in the Islands before, as Professor Ansted, though he gives no date or locality, includes the Gyr Falcon in his list of Channel Island birds. As all three of the large northern white Falcons were at one time included under the name of Gyr Falcons, and, as Professor Ansted gives no description of the bird mentioned by him, it is impossible to say to which species he alluded. We may fairly conclude, however, that it was either the present species or the Iceland Falcon, as it could hardly have been the darker and less wandering species, the Norway Falcon, the true Gyr Falcon of falconers, _Falco gyrfalco_ of Linnaeus, which does not wander so far from its native home, and has never yet, as far as is at present known, occurred in any part of the British Islands, and certainly not so far south as the Channel Islands. This latter, indeed, is an extremely southern latitude for either the Greenland or Iceland Falcon, the next being in Cornwall, from which county both species have been recorded by Mr. Rodd. Neither species, however, is recorded as having occurred in any of the neighbouring parts of France.

4. ICELAND FALCON. _Falco islandus_, Gmelin.--An Iceland Falcon was killed on the little Island of Herm on the 11th of April, 1876, where it had been seen about for some time, by the gamekeeper. It had another similar bird in company with it, and probably the pair were living very well upon the game-birds which had been imported and preserved in that island, as the keeper saw them kill more than one Pheasant before he shot this bird. The other fortunately escaped. The bird which was killed is now in my possession, and is a fully adult Iceland Falcon, and Mr. Couch, the bird-stuffer who skinned it, informed me a male by dissection. Though to a certain extent I have profited by it, so far as to have the only Channel Island example of the Iceland Falcon in my possession, I cannot help regretting that this bird was killed by the keeper, as it seems to me not impossible that the two birds being together in the island so late as the 11th of April, and certainly one, probably both, being adult, and there being plenty of food for them, might, if unmolested, have bred in the island. Perhaps, however, this is too much to have expected so far from their proper home. It would, however, have been interesting to know how late the birds would have remained before returning to their northern home; but the breeding-season for the Pheasants was beginning, and this was enough for the keeper, as he had actually seen two or three Pheasants--some hens--killed before he shot the Falcon. As these Falcons can only be considered very rare accidental visitants to the Islands, it may be interesting to some of my readers to mention that they may distinguish them easily by colour, the Greenland, _Falco candicans_, being always the most white, and the Norway bird--the Gyr Falcon of falconers--being the darkest, the Iceland Falcon (the present species) being intermediate. This is generally a good guide at all ages, but occasionally there may be some difficulty in distinguishing young birds, especially as between the Iceland and the Norway Falcon. In a doubtful case in the Channel Islands, however, it would always be safer to consider the bird an Iceland rather than a Norway Falcon.

5. PEREGRINE FALCON. _Falco peregrinus_, Tunstall. French, "Faucon pèlerin."--The Peregrine can now, I think, only be considered an autumnal visitant to the Islands, though, if not shot or otherwise destroyed, it would, no doubt, remain throughout the winter, and might perhaps have been resident, as Mr. MacCulloch sends me a note of one killed in Herm in December. All the Channel Island specimens I have seen have been young birds of the year, and generally killed in October or November. Adult birds, no doubt, occasionally occur, but they are comparatively rare, and it certainly does not breed anywhere in the Islands at present, though I see no reason why it should not have done so in former times, as there are many places well suited to it, and a constant supply of sea-birds for food. Mr. MacCulloch also seems to be of opinion that the Peregrine formerly bred in the Islands, as he says, speaking, however, of the _Falconidae_ generally, "There must have been a time when some of the species were permanent residents, for the high pyramidal rock south of the little Island of Jethou bears the name of 'La Fauconnière,' evidently denoting that it must have been a favourite resort of these birds, and there are other rocks with the same name." Certainly the rock here mentioned looks much like a place that would be selected by the Peregrine for breeding purposes, but that must have been before the days of excursion steamers once or twice a week to Jethou and Herm. Occasionally a young Peregrine is made to do duty as a Lanner, and is recorded in the local papers accordingly (see 'Star' for November 11th, 1876, copying, however, a Jersey paper), but in spite of these occasional notes there is no satisfactory reason for supposing that the true Lanner has ever occurred in either of the Islands. The birds, however, certainly resemble each other to a certain extent, but the young Lanner in which state it would be most likely to occur, may always be distinguished from the young Peregrine by its whiter head, and the adult has more brown on the head and neck.

The Peregrine is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

6. HOBBY. _Falco subbuteo_, Linnaeus. French, "Le Hobereau." The Hobby can only be considered as a rather rare occasional visitant, just touching the Islands on its southern migration in the autumn, and late in the autumn, for Mr. MacCulloch informs me that a Hobby was killed in the Islands, probably Guernsey, in November, 1873, and Mr. Couch, writing to me on the 10th of November, told me he had had a Hobby brought to him on the 8th of the same month. Both of these occurrences seem rather late, but probably the Hobby only touches the Islands for a very short time on passage, and quite towards the end of the migratory period. I do not know of any instance of the Hobby having occurred in the Islands on its northern migration in the spring, or of its remaining to breed.

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

7. MERLIN. _Falco aesalon_,[5] Bris., 1766. French, "Faucon Emérillon."--The pretty little Merlin is a much more common autumnal visitant to the Islands than the Hobby, but, like the Peregrine, the majority of instances are young birds of the year which visit the Islands on their autumnal migration. When I was in Guernsey in November, 1875, two Merlins, both young birds, were brought in to Mr. Couch's. Both were shot in the Vale, and I saw a third near Cobo, but did not shoot it. This also was a young bird. In some years Merlins appear to be more numerous than in others, and this seems to have been one of the years in which they were most numerous. Unlike the Hobby, however, the Merlin does occasionally visit the Islands in the spring, as I saw one at Mr. Jago's, the bird-stuffer in Guernsey, which had been killed at Herm in the spring of 1876. This is now in the collection of Mr. Maxwell, the present owner of Herm. Though the Merlin visits the Islands both in the spring and autumn, I do not know that there is any instance of its having remained to breed, neither do I know of an occurrence during the winter. In the 'Zoologist' for 1875 Mr. Couch, in a communication dated November 29th, 1874, says--"A Merlin--a female--was shot in the Marais, which had struck down a Water Rail a minute or two before it was shot. After striking down the Rail the Merlin flew into a tree, about ten yards from which the man who shot it found the Rail dead. He brought me both birds. The skin of the Rail was broken from the shoulder to the back of the skull."

The more common prey, however, of the Merlin during the time it remains in the Islands is the Ring Dotterell, which at that time of year is to be found in large flocks mixed with Purres and Turnstones in all the low sandy or muddy bays in the Islands.

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

8. KESTREL. _Falco tinnunculus_, Linnaeus. French, "Faucon cresserelle."--The Kestrel is by far the commonest hawk in the Islands, and is resident throughout the year. I do not think that its numbers are at all increased during the migratory season. It breeds in the rocky parts of all the Islands. The Kestrel does not, however, show itself so frequently in the low parts--even in the autumn--as on the high cliffs, so probably Ring Dotterell, Purres, and Turnstones do not form so considerable a part of its food as they do of the Merlin. Skylarks, Rock and Meadow Pipits, and, in the summer, Wheatears, with a few rats and mice, seem to afford the principal food of the Kestrel, and to obtain these it has not to wander far from its breeding haunts.

The Kestrel is quite as common in Alderney and Herm, and even in the little Island of Jethou, as it is in Guernsey and Sark. One or two pairs, perhaps more, breed on the before-mentioned rock close to Jethou "La Fauconnière," though a few pairs of Kestrels breeding there would scarcely have been sufficient to give it its name.

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

9. SPARROWHAWK. _Accipiter nisus_, Linnaeus. French, "L'Epervier," "Tiercelet."--The Sparrowhawk, though a resident species and breeding in the Islands, is by no means so common as the Kestrel. In fact, it must certainly be considered rather a rare bird, which perhaps is not to be wondered at, as it is a more tree-breeding bird and less given to nesting amongst the rocks than the Kestrel. It does so sometimes, however, as I saw one fly out of some ivy-covered rocks near Petit Bo Bay the last time I was in the Islands on the 27th of May, 1878. I am certain this bird had a nest there, though the place was too inaccessible to be examined closely. The trees, however, at the Vallon or Woodlands would be much more likely nesting-places, especially as it might have an opportunity of appropriating a deserted nest of a Magpie or a Wood Pigeon, rather a favourite nesting-place of the Sparrowhawk.

Professor Ansted includes the Sparrowhawk in his list, but confines it to Guernsey and Sark; and probably, as a resident and breeding bird, he is right as far as my district is concerned, but I should think it must occasionally occur both in Alderney and Herm, though I have never seen a specimen from either Island, nor have I seen the bird about alive in either. There is one specimen in the Museum.

10. COMMON BUZZARD. _Buteo vulgaris_, Leach. French, "Buse."--The Buzzard is a tolerably regular, and by no means uncommon, autumnal visitant, specimens occurring from some of the Islands almost every autumn. But it is, I believe, an autumnal visitant only, as I do not know of a single specimen taken at any other time of year, nor can I find a record of one. I have seen examples in the flesh from both Alderney and Herm, in both of which Islands it occurs at least as frequently as it does in Guernsey, though still only as an autumnal visitant.

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

11. ROUGHLEGGED BUZZARD. _Buteo lagopus_, Gmelin. French, "Archibuse pattue" or "Buse pattue."--Though its visits seem not so absolutely confined to the autumn as the Common Buzzard, the Rough-legged Buzzard is a much more uncommon visitant to the Channel Islands, and can only be looked upon as a rare occasional straggler. Mr. MacCulloch informs me that one was killed near L'Hyvreuse, which is perhaps now more commonly known as the New Ground, in Guernsey, about Christmas, 1870, and I found one at the bird-stuffer and carpenter's shop at Alderney, which had been shot by his friend who shot the Greenland Falcon, but I could get no information about the date except that it was late autumn or winter, and about two years ago. These are the only Channel Island specimens of which I have been able to glean any intelligence. Probably, however, it has occurred at other times and been overlooked. As it may have occasionally been mistaken for the more common Common Buzzard, I may say that it is always to be distinguished from that bird by the feathered tarsus. On the wing, perhaps, when flying overhead, the most readily observed distinction is the dark band on the lower part of the breast. I have, however, seen a very dark variety of the Rough-legged Buzzard, in which nearly the whole of the plumage was a uniform dark chocolate-brown, and consequently the dark band on the breast could not be seen even when one had the bird in one's hand, and had it not been for the feathered tarsus this bird might easily have been mistaken for a very dark variety of the Common Buzzard, and when on the wing it would have been impossible to identify it. Indeed, though it was immediately distinguishable from the Common Buzzard by its feathered legs, there was some little difficulty about identifying it, even when handling it as a skin.

Professor Ansted includes the Rough-legged Buzzard in his list, but only marks it as occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.

12. MARSH HARRIER. _Circus Oeruginosus_, Linnaeus. French, "Busard des Marais."--This seems to be the least common of the Harriers in the Channel Islands, though it does occur occasionally, and perhaps more frequently than is generally supposed.

There are two specimens in the Museum in Guernsey both in immature plumage; in that state, in fact, in which this bird most commonly occurs, and in which it is the Bald Buzzard of Bewick.

Miss C.B. Carey records one in the November number of the 'Zoologist' for 1874 in the following words:--"In the May of this year an adult male Marsh Harrier was found in Herm. Unfortunately it got into the hands of some person who, I believe, kept it too long before bringing it over to be preserved, so that all that remains of it is the head." I had no opportunity of examining this bird myself, not even the head, but I am disposed to doubt its being fully adult, as it seems to me much more probable that it was much in the same state as those in the Museum, in which state it is much more common than in the fully adult plumage. Miss Carey seems only to have seen the head herself, so there may easily have been a mistake on this point.

Mr. MacCulloch writes me word that a Marsh Harrier was killed in Herm in May, 1875. It may be just possible, however, that this is the same bird recorded by Miss C.B. Carey, and that Mr. MacCulloch only heard of it in the May of the following year, and noted it accordingly. This, however, is mere supposition on my part, for which I have no reason except that both birds were said to have been killed in Herm, and both in May.

Professor Ansted mentions the Marsh Harrier in his list, but marks it as only found in Guernsey.

12. HEN HARRIER. _Circus cyaneus_, Linnaeus. French, "Busard St. Martin."[6]--The Hen Harrier, perhaps, occurs rather more frequently than the Marsh Harrier, but it can only be considered a rare occasional visitant. In June, 1876, I saw one young Hen Harrier, which had been shot in Herm in the April of that year, about the same time as the Iceland Falcon, and by the same keeper, who had brought it to Mr. Couch to stuff. Another was shot in Herm on the 19th of June, 1877. This bird is now in Mr. Maxwell's collection, where I saw it on the 27th of June. It was first reported to me by Mr. Jago, the bird-stuffer in Guernsey.

These are the only two Channel Island specimens of the Hen Harrier which I have been able to find. I have never shot it myself or seen it alive. It is, however, included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as occurring in Guernsey only.

[13. Omitted.]

14. MONTAGU'S HARRIER. _Circus cineraceus_, Montagu. French, "Busard Montagu," "Busard cendré."--Montagu's Harrier is certainly a more frequent visitant to the Islands than either the Hen Harrier or the Marsh Harrier. Miss C.B. Carey records one in the 'Zoologist' for 1873 as having been shot in Alderney in July of that year. She adds that it was an adult male in full plumage, and that she saw it herself at Mr. Couch's shop. In the 'Zoologist' for 1874 she records another Montagu's Harrier--a young one--shot in Herm in July of that year. She adds that--"It was brought to Mr. Couch to skin. He found a whole Lark's egg, and also the shell of another, in its throat. He showed me how the whole egg was sticking in the empty shell of the broken one."