BIRDS 



times met with, but this species is more 

 often seen in small parties on the sea shore 

 and in the estuaries of our larger rivers. 

 Occasionally large flocks have occurred at 

 Tnstow in autumn. In spring the birds ob- 

 tained are often in their rich breeding plumage. 

 Mr. Howard Saunders came across a pair, in 

 a favourable situation for breeding, on Lundy 

 Island 28 May 1861, which might have had 

 a nest, but one of the two was unfortun- 

 ately shot. 



217. Oyster-Catcher. Hamatopus ostralegus, 



Linn. 

 Locally, Sea-Pie. 

 Partially a resident, but principally only a 

 passing visitor in spring and autumn. It 

 formerly bred amongst the rocks near the 

 Start Point, and does so still at one spot on 

 the south coast. A few pairs breed on Lundy 

 Island. It is rarely common at any time on 

 the south coast, though on the increase, but is 

 most frequently met with in small parties, from 

 August to October, on the sea shore and in the 

 river estuaries, and is then sometimes in adult 

 winter plumage, but more generally examples 

 met with at that season are immature birds. 

 Large flocks visit the mussel beds oiF the 

 Bideford Lighthouse, especially in winter. 



218. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta,L,mn, 

 This remarkable bird is now a very rare 



visitor to Devonshire. It usually occurs in 

 autumn and winter, seldom in spring. Ex- 

 amples have been obtained on the Tamar and 

 Tavy (3), on the Kingsbridge estuary (4 or 

 5), on the Exe estuary (12), on the Dart 

 (2), and on the Taw and Torridge (5). The 

 last occurrences were in 1888, when two 

 were killed at Exmouth at the end of 

 October, one near Instow on 13 November, 

 and one on the Taw, the next day. 



219. Black-winged Stilt. Himantopus candi- 



dus, Bonnaterre. 

 About 1720 a small flight of this curious 

 bird seems to have visited the western counties, 

 as no less than five were killed at a shot near 

 Penzance in Cornwall, and at about the same 

 time one was shot at Brampton (query Braun- 

 ton) ' on the north sea in Devonshire ' [The 

 Works of Walter Moyle, Esq., 2 vols., London, 

 1726). Dr, Edward Moore records a speci- 

 men obtained at Slapton Ley, and one in 

 Mr. Comyn's collection. No example has 

 occurred in Devonshire within the last sixty 

 or seventy years. 



220. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus fulicarius 



(Linn.) 

 An irregular autumnal visitor, only approach- 



ing our shores during heavy south-westerly 

 gales in September, October and November. 

 It rarely occurs as early as August or as late 

 as December and January, and very seldom in 

 spring. In some years, such as 1845, 1846, 

 1866, 1870, 1875 and 1891, great numbers 

 appear on our coasts, especially the extreme 

 south-western part, and many are driven by 

 stormy weather inland, when they are often 

 seen on freshwater ponds. They are generally 

 very tame and easily approached, being some- 

 times so worn out as to allow themselves to 

 be caught by hand. The examples obtained 

 on our shores are almost always in immature 

 or else winter plumage. The late Mr. Henry 

 Nicholls of Kingsbridge obtained a fine 

 male in summer plumage in May 1844 ; and 

 a bird in moult, with some orange feathers 

 of the summer dress still remaining, was 

 captured alive by a boy in Stonehouse Creek, 

 on 5 August 1876. There was also a speci- 

 men in full summer plumage in the collection 

 of the late Mr. Bond which was said to have 

 been obtained in Devonshire. 



221. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus hy- 



perboreus (Linn.) 

 Two specimens only of this pretty species 

 have been procured in Devon, viz. an 

 immature bird at Plymouth in 1831, and an 

 adult in summer plumage on the Hamoaze 

 7 June 1869. Two were seen singly about 

 the Eddystone Lighthouse, 2i September 

 and I October 1901, by Mr. W. Eagle 

 Clarke. 



222. Woodcock. Scohpax rusticula, Linn. 

 Locally, MufF Cock. 



Principally a winter visitor, but some few 

 pairs nest in the county and probably furnish 

 the ' early woodcocks ' recorded from time 

 to time by the local press in August and 

 September. The average date of the first 

 arrival is between October 6 and 10, but the 

 main body of immigrants seldom appears be- 

 fore the middle of that month, and may con- 

 tinue to arrive up to the middle of December. 

 The time of departure is the beginning of 

 March. 



Large flights of woodcocks used to arrive 

 at Bindon and Dow lands near Axmouth on 

 the undercliffs, on moonlight nights in 

 October, and they are sometimes abundant at 

 Shute Park. They are also plentiful at times 

 in Woodleigh Woods near Kingsbridge. It 

 is remarkable that woodcocks rarely strike 

 the lantern of the Start Lighthouse, and it 

 does not appear that any have been reported 

 from the Eddystone. In former days before 

 the island had become cultivated, great num- 



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