438 . KEroRTS. 



White -tailed Eagle. A specimen of this noble bird was shot in Alderney 

 on the Gth November last. It had been watched day by day for two or 

 three weeks by several local sportsmen, who not only spared its life, but 

 actually threw food in its way, which was {greedily devoured. In a 

 former paper I recorded the occurrence in Aklerney of two White -tailed 

 or Sea Eagles, which were killed in November and December, lS9i). 

 The present specimen was rather smaller than the others, and is said to 

 have measured about seven feet across the expanded wings. 



Redstart. On the 27th April I saw one on the cliffs at Saints' Bay ; the 

 first specimen that has come under my notice in Guernsey for many 

 years. 



Black Redstart. I saw one of these winter migrants on the 2nd of 

 November on the cliffs above Petit Port, and on the following day two 

 others between Icart and Petit Bot. In its size and habits tliis bird is 

 very like the Wheatear, l:)ut is at once distinguislied by the red colour at 

 the base of the tail. 



Wheatear. The earliest specimen I saw this year was at the Forest on 

 April 14th, but INIr. Hocart reports having seen some on L'Ancresse 

 Common on March 31st, that being about the usual date of their 

 appearance. The last one I saAV at Icart Point on November 3rd, an 

 unusually late date, as Wheatears leave us generally in September or 

 early in October. 



Willow Wren. On April 15th, a bitterly cold day with a cutting north- 

 east wind, I saw and heard this little bird, with its plaintive " descending 

 scale " song, in the valley at Petit Bot. 



ChitfChaff. Made a long stay with us this year. Mr. Rowswell heard the 

 first as early as March 24, on the Fermain cliffs, and the last on October 

 16th ; but as late as (October 22nd I heard one chirping merrily in tlie old 

 Talbot's millpond at St. Andrew's. 



Goldflneh. Mr. Spencer observed several of these birds in Alderney during 

 the month of May. Smith says the Goldfinch "is resident and breeds 

 in all the islands," biit during a residence of four years in Alderney I 

 never once saw either the bird or its eggs. 



Bullfinch. Now so generally distributed in Guernsey that it is hardly 

 worth noting their occurrence. In November a gentleman informed 

 Mr. Tanner that ttie week before he had counted thirteen bullfinches 

 at one time on the lawn of Saumarez Manor. 



Starling". Early in February Mr. Spencer told me that one day at the 

 beginning of that month a fresli-laid Starling's egg was found on the 

 ground in Smith's Nursery. This is remarkably early. 



Chough. Can anyone say whether the Chough still occurs in Guernsey ? 

 According to Smith it was a common resident here thirty years ago, 

 but I have met with no one who has actually seen a specimen of late 

 years ; and my own search all along the south coast has so far been 

 fruitless. But Choughs occur in Sark, and bred there two years ago. 



Hooded Crow. Two flocks of these rare winter visitors were seen by 

 Mr. Spencer in Alderney at the end of October and beginning of 

 November. 



Wryneck. Very late this year, and scarce throughout the season. Mr. 

 Hocart first heard its note at the Vale on April 15th, but not again until 

 the 29th. Mr. Eowswell noted the earliest on April 18th at Fermain 

 Bay I was about the country a good deal at that season, but I did 

 not hear a Wryneck until May 6th. Only once during the last nineteen 

 years, Mr. Rowswell remarks, has the Wryneck been so late in arriving : 

 and that was in 1900. This year he heard one calling several times in 

 the trees at the Hermitage, Lancresse, on July 20, and Mr. Hocart 

 heard what was j)robably the same bird as late as July 30. It is worth 



