BIUDS OF ALDERNEY. 241 



Starling. — This bird offers an interesting example of the remarkable change 

 which sometimes occurs in the habits of purely wild creatures. Half a 

 century ago, a starling was never seen in these islands except in winter 

 time, and even 25 years ago Cecil Smith says he never saw one in any of 

 his summer visits to Guernsey. At present starlings abound all the year 

 round, and breed both here and in Alderney in great numbers. A pair 

 which had their nest in a roof not far from my window in Alderney, 

 reared three broods of young one year. 



Raven. — Rare in Alderney. I am almost certain I have seen it more than 

 once, but the only occasion on which I could be quite sure was on the 

 26th September, 1900, when I both heard and saw a Raven on the cliffs. 



Hooded Crow.— This being only an occasional winter visitant, its occurrence 

 in Alderney in summer is of great interest. On the 3rd August, 1899, I 

 saw a Hooded Crow flying on the cliffs in company with about a dozen 

 common crows, and I saw the bird twice. It is the only time I have 

 observed this species in Alderney. 



Magpie. — It is curious that a bird so very common in Guernsey as the 

 Magpie should be entirely absent in Alderney, but it is so. No one 

 seems ever to have seen one in that island. 



Wryneek.— Common in Alderney, arriving generally during the first week 

 in April. The earliest date on which I have heard the note is April 6th, 

 and although it usually ceases to sing about the beginning of July, I 

 heard the peculiar note as late as the 2nd and 4th of August in 1899. 



Cuekoo. — Very numerous in Alderney in some years, more so than anywhere 

 else I can remember. In 1901, the familiar note was heard in all parts of 

 the island on the 18th April, which shows that these birds arrive in 

 flocks or small parties. In 1902, I again heard the Cuckoo on the 18th 

 April, but in 1900, not till the 21st. Cuckoos' eggs vary considerably in 

 colour, but the three or four Alderney specimens I possess (taken in two 

 different years) are all of the same shade, closely resembling the eggs of 

 the Titlark. I may mention here, on the authority of one of our best 

 English ornithologists, that there is no authentic instance of the Cuckoo 

 having been heard anywhere in the British Isles earlier than the 6th 

 April, and very rarely even then ; no reliance whatever must be placed on 

 newspaper paragraphs about Cuckoos singing in March. 



Night-jar. — These birds visit Alderney during the autumnal migration, and 

 are occasionally shot in October and November, but a few arrive in the 

 early summer and possibly breed here. On the 23rd May, 1899, I saw a 

 pair fly up from among the bracken in Rose Farm Valley, but of course it 

 was too early to look for eggs, which I have found in England as late as 

 August. In 1902, on the 22nd May, four or five Night- jars rose at my 

 approach, out of an old quarry below Essex Castle ; the birds seemed 

 fatigued, and it is my belief that they had only just arrived in Alderney 

 from the south. 



Swift. — These birds are very common in Alderney, in fact Swifts are almost 

 as numerous as Swallows. They arrive during the early days of May, and 

 in 1902 I saw a solitary specimen flying about in very stormy weather 

 with east wind and rain, as early as April 27th. 



Swallow. — In 1901, Swallows and House Martins first appeared on April 

 18th, when they occurred in some numbers. They arrived earlier the 

 following year, viz., April 12th, the air being mild and the wind south, 

 after a stormy spell of bitter east wind. Swallows usually leave about 

 the 12th or 15th of October, though a good many remain later. 



Sand Martin. — In the " Birds of Guernsey " the author seems rather doubt- 

 ful about the occurrence of these birds, at least in the smaller islands, 

 and is of opinion that they should be considered simply spring visitants. 

 In Alderney, however, I have seen Sand Martins every year during the 

 summer, but mostly single birds, or at most three or four together. 



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