BIRDS 



the marsh-tit are fairly common about Falmouth. The corn-bunting is 

 plentiful and the bullfinch locally common, but the goldfinch is gradually 

 disappearing. The wood-lark appears to be confined to the east of the 

 district. The kingfisher is seen at times on most of the streams in winter, 

 but is becoming scarce in summer. The wheatear breeds on the downs ; the 

 grey wagtail on one, or perhaps two, of the moorland streams. The dipper 

 and the goat-sucker are by no means rare and are generally distributed. 

 Lately the corncrake and the water-rail have been noticeably scarce. The 

 quail breeds not infrequently about Falmouth. The stock-dove nests as far 

 west as the Helford river, and the rock-dove is now a well-established colonist 

 at intervals along the coast. Perhaps the most conspicuous bird of the dis- 

 trict is the heron, which has populous head quarters about Tregothnan and at 

 Bosahan. No less than thirty-five were counted one afternoon along the 

 sides of the main creek during a canoe journey between St. Just-in-Roseland 

 and Truro. The little grebe, or ' dipchick,' the moorhen, the mallard, and 

 the coot breed in suitable localities throughout the district, but the last two 

 are much commoner in winter than in summer. The other grebes and the 

 divers are on the whole commoner than in the Tamar-Fowey district. The 

 regular winter visitors include the merlin, the black redstart, the brambling, 

 the spotted crake and the redshank, the latter occasionally venturing as far up 

 the estuary as the quay at Truro. The snow-bunting and the fire-crest are of 

 frequent occurrence. In severe weather the bean-goose, brent-goose, and 

 bernacle-goose are frequent visitors, the two former often occurring in large 

 flocks. The white-fronted goose is only occasionally seen. 



The mallard is the only duck that breeds regularly in the district, though 

 young teal are not infrequently reported in the summer months. In the winter, 

 however, not only are those two species abundant, especially in severe weather, 

 but shovelers, pintail, and wigeon often appear in considerable numbers, and 

 the pochard, golden eye, and of late years the scaup, are regular visitors. 

 The tufted duck is erratic, but by no means rare, and the garganey is a not 

 uncommon spring casual. The sheldrake is frequently seen in autumn and 

 winter. 



Falmouth Bay is naturally the centre of extensive migratory movements 

 both in autumn and spring, and consequently many vagrants have been 

 recorded from the two estuaries and from Swanpool, a small bird-frequented 

 ley on the intervening coast, which forms the annual gathering-ground for 

 many migratory species in the autumn. The vagrants include such rare 

 birds as the red-breasted flycatcher, mealy redpoll, red-footed falcon, American 

 red-winged starling, ruddy sheldrake, red-crested pochard, ferruginous duck, 

 surf-scoter, avocet, black-winged stilt, pectoral sandpiper, little stint, 

 Bonaparte's gull, ivory gull, black guillemot and Briinnich's guillemot. 



6. LIZARD LAND'S END DISTRICT 



The island-promontory of the Lizard is one of the wildest and most 

 solitary districts in Cornwall. It consists for the most part of an extensive 

 plateau two or three hundred feet high, the central portion of which is 

 formed by the Goonhilly Downs, while to the south lies the rough heathland 

 that covers the outcrop of serpentine. The undulations on this great stretch 



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