BIRDS 



In the late summer and early autumn there is often a great influx 

 of warblers, supposed to come from Ireland, and the great gatherings of 

 mistle thrushes, ring ouzels, wheatears, willow warblers, wagtails (pied, 

 white, yellow and grey) , swallows, house martins, spotted flycatchers, lin- 

 nets, sky-larks, wood-larks, land-rails, etc., on the south coast, prior to their 

 departure in autumn, are often most remarkable. Mr. W. Eagle Clarke 

 observed many species passing the Eddystone lighthouse, in September 

 and October 1901, in great numbers going south. In spring warblers 

 of various kinds come in great ' rushes ' to our south coast, and for a 

 short time are very plentiful, but as a rule Devonshire is remarkable for 

 the scarcity of warblers. The stone curlew, which in other parts of 

 England is a summer migrant, is a winter visitor to Devonshire, finding 

 the extreme northern limit of its winter range in this county and west 

 Somerset. 



Numerous sea-fowl frequent the indentations of the south coast, 

 viz. Plymouth Sound and harbours, Bigbury Bay, Start Bay and 

 Torbay, especially during the autumnal migration, when large numbers 

 of scoters, phalaropes, terns, gulls, skuas, divers, grebes and shearwaters 

 are sometimes met with. In severe winters flocks of ducks, geese and 

 swans visit them, and in early spring gannets, puffins, razorbills and 

 guillemots are plentiful. 



The estuaries of the large rivers the Tamar and Tavy at Plymouth, 

 the arm of the sea at Kingsbridge, and the estuaries of the Dart, Teign 

 and Exe on the south coast, and of the Taw and Torridge on the north 

 coast, with their extensive mud-flats and sand-banks, are visited by many 

 waders and aquatic birds, especially during the spring and autumn 

 migrations. 



At several points along the south coast, and at Baggy Point on the 

 north coast, where the cliffs are precipitous, there are considerable 

 breeding places for sea-fowl and other birds. 



The principal breeding place for sea birds is at Lundy Island, off 

 the north coast of the county. This mass of granite, rising some 300 to 

 800 feet above the sea, is flat-topped, contains about 1,200 acres, and is 

 nearly three miles long, and about a mile wide at its broadest part. 

 Politically it does not belong to Devon, nor to any other county, but as 

 it lies out in the Bristol Channel only 1 4 miles away from our coast, and 

 is 30 miles from Wales, it can fairly be claimed as naturally appertaining 

 to this county. No less than 1 40 species of birds have been observed on 

 the island, of which 27 are residents, 31 summer migrants, 23 winter 

 visitors, and 59 occasional visitors. About a dozen other species have 

 been seen but not obtained. It is worthy of note that no tits are found 

 on the island, and as there are no trees woodpeckers are, of course, 

 absent. The jackdaw and rook are only occasional visitors. The house 

 sparrow, formerly only a visitor, has established itself of late years. A 

 spotted eagle was shot in the winter of 1858, but lost over the cliffs, and 

 an example of the American buff-breasted sandpiper was killed in the same 

 year. Neither of these birds has occurred on the mainland of Devon. 



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