A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



207. Stone-Curlew. (Edicnemus scolopax {5.G. 



Gmelin) 

 Locally, Great Plover. 



A casual visitor of occasional occurrence, 

 usually in the autumn and winter months, i.e. 

 October to February, and mostly on the 

 south coast and its neighbourhood. It has 

 occurred only once in the month of March 

 (1867), and twice in May (1889 and 1897). 

 In the winter of 1889 one was killed out of 

 a flock, but this bird usually occurs either 

 singly or in pairs in Devonshire. 



208. Pratincole, Glareola pratincola (Linn.) 

 An accidental visitor of extremely rare 



occurrence. Two pratincoles are reported to 

 have been seen on Dawlish Warren on 

 7 September 1851 by the late Mr. W. W. 

 Buller ; and two at the same place by the 

 late Mr. F. W. L. Ross. One is said to have 

 been seen near the banks of the Erme in 

 Flete Park on 14 August 1885. 



209. Cream-coloured Courser. Cursorius gal- 



licus (J. F. Gmelin) 

 A very rare accidental visitor in spring 

 and autumn. It has occurred twice on 

 Braunton Burrows. Two were seen there 

 and one shot in the last week of October 

 1856, the other being killed a few days after- 

 wards, and two were seen in March i860. 



210. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn.) 

 The dotterel rarely visits Devonshire, and 



generally only on passage in spring and 

 autumn, but a few have occurred in the 

 winter months. It is usually met with either 

 singly or in small trips, at rare intervals, on 

 the south-western side of Dartmoor, in the 

 Kingsbridge district, on Dawlish Warren, 

 on Whitestone Hill near Exeter, and near 

 Barnstaple. Mr. Gatcombe saw one on the 

 top of Great Hangman's Hill near Combe 

 Martin 22 October 1875. 



211. Ringed Plover. Mgialitis htaticula 



(Linn.) 



Locally, Cat-poll, Cat-head, Sand-Lark, Sea- 

 Lark. 



An abundant resident on our coasts and 

 estuaries, breeding wherever there is a pebbly 

 beach. Large numbers arrive from the north 

 in autumn and flock with dunlins and other 

 shore birds. A smaller race than our resident 

 birds arrives in spring on our shores, and has 

 been mistaken for the little ringed plover 

 [M. curonica), which has not yet been ob- 

 tained in Devonshire, though one was shot 

 at Trescoe in the Scilly Islands. 



212. Kentish Plover. /Egia litis cantiana 



(Latham) 



Only three examples of this little plover 

 are recorded from Devonshire, viz. a pair 

 on the Plymouth breakwater 7 May i86i, 

 and an immature bird on the Hamoaze in 

 the autumn of 1875. 



[According to Mr. C. Dixon an example of 

 the kildeer plover {M. vocifera) was flushed 

 from Paignton Sands on 7 September 1898. 

 It is a common American species and has 

 occurred in Hampshire and at the Scilly 

 Islands.] 



213. Golden Plover. Charadrius pluvialis, 



Linn. 

 Chiefly known in Devonshire as a regular 

 autumn visitor from the north, flocks making 

 their appearance at that time of the year on 

 all our moorlands, whence in severe frosts they 

 descend into the marshes and meadows, and 

 are then also found on the coasts. Large 

 flocks remain until late in the spring in south 

 Devon, and the birds are then in full breeding 

 plumage, but it is uncertain whether any 

 golden plovers now nest on Dartmoor, as 

 they were reported to do formerly. Dr. E. 

 Moore records ' a brood of six ' being obtained 

 on the banks of the Tamar in 1827, and two 

 young ones were found on Roborough Down 

 in 1829. 



214. Grey Plover. Sguatarola helvetica (Linn.) 

 Locally, Silver Plover. 



A winter visitor to our coasts and estuaries, 

 but never numerous, occurring singly or in 

 pairs, and rarely in small flocks. It arrives in 

 September and October, sometimes prolonging 

 its stay till the middle of May. Examples 

 are occasionally obtained in full breeding 

 plumage. 



Many ' grey plovers ' are reported passing 

 the Eddystone Lighthouse in autumn. 



215. Lapwing. Vanellus vulgaris, Bechstein. 

 Locally, Lapwink, Horniwink, Green Plover, 



Peewit. 

 Increasing as a resident breeding species, 

 but those that remain all the year with us on 

 the moors and marshlands are few compared 

 to the vast flocks that arrive from the east- 

 ward in autumn and during severe weather in 

 winter. 



216. Turnstone. Strepsilas interpres (Linn.) 

 A passing visitor in April and May, and 



again in August and September, a few occas- 

 ionally remaining through, the winter. Flocks 

 composed of turnstones, ringed plovers, knots 

 and dunlins, mingled together, are some- 



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