1913.] 



REPORTS. 29 



and later date for the House Martin than for the Swallow. (See the 

 1910 Ornithological Report.) In October I kept a sharp look-out 

 for Martins, but only saw stragglers on isolated days, and the last 

 (a solitary one) over the Petit Port cliffs on the 25th. This is our 

 earliest date by four days for last seeing the bird. The House 

 Martin, in common with the rest of the Swallow tribe, not only 

 visited us in smaller numbers than usual but also disappeared earlier. 



Sand Martin. — I have no observations on the Sand Martin this year, 

 but of course it does not follow from this that the bird has not 

 visited us, for as this migrant is believed not to nest in Guernsey, 

 any we happen to see are, in all probability, merely halting here on 

 their journey north or south. 



Swift. — Of the Swift I have the result of my own observations only to give 

 you. This bird-visitor, similar to all those of which I have spoken this 

 evening, arrived early. It is rare to see Swifts in Guernsey until the 

 beginning of May, but on April 29th one was sporting about over the 

 Fort-road, and two days later, on May 1st, I saw the first of the little 

 Town Church band, which, I may add, I had never before seen at so 

 early a date. These, of course, were the advance guard of the army, 

 and it was some days after this before any were seen in numbers. In 

 August, the month in which most of the Swifts leave us, I spent rather 

 more than a fortnight at St. Peter-in-the-Wood, and much to my disap- 

 pointmer.t saw Swifts on one day only. This was on the 20th, when two 

 were flying over some fields at Les Hamelins, and I saw none afterwards. 

 This practical!} entire absence of the bird in the neighbourhood of Roc- 

 quaine and l'Eree seems strange, for on the 9th, when I went out to 

 St. Peter's the bird was still fairly numerous at St. Martin's. This, 

 August 20th, is my earliest date by five days for last seeing the Black 

 Swallow as the Swift is also called. 



Corncrake. — In striking contrast to last year's observations of the Corn- 

 crake which were all included in the short space of eight days, this 

 season's notes embrace a period of six weeks, beginning on May 24th and 

 ending on July 1th. On the former date Mr. Rammell heard the bird 

 near St. Andrew's Brickfield, aud on the latter in the same neighbour- 

 hood also. On May 26th, while observing Schaumasse's comet with 

 Mr. Rammell from Les Bemonts between 9.30 and 11 p.m.< two of these 

 nocturnal gossipers disturbed (but not by any means unpleasantly) the 

 stillness of a lovely night by a continual "crake, crake" during the 

 whole of our stay there. But the most interesting occurrence to me in 

 connection with the visit of the Corncrake this season was hearing the 

 bird on several nights in some fields at the back of Sausmarez Manor at 

 St. Martin's between June 16th and July 1st. It is many years since I had 

 heard the bird so close to Les Blanches. Mr. Tourtel, at Torteval, did 

 not hear the bird at all this season. 



Ring" Ousel.— At the beginning of October Jurat G. E. Kinnersly told me 

 that he had b.en informed on reliable authority that Ring Ousels had 

 been seen at St. Martin's a few days previously, but he could not give me 

 the exact date. A few of these birds are often seen here at the time of 

 the Autumn migration. 



Blaekstart. — On Saturday morning, October 18th, I saw a Blackstart near 

 Le Hechet Mill, at the top of the Ruettes Brayes, and on the 25th of the 

 same month I saw another of these rare bird visitors on the Petit Port 

 cliffs. 



Nightjar. — No one has reported either seeing or hearing the Nightjar (or 

 Goatsucker) this year. Mr. Rammell kept a sharp look-out for some 

 during the spring and summer but without success. 



Common Buzzard. — A fine specimen of the Common Buzzard, Butes vul- 

 garis, was shot at the King's Mills, Catel, on February 28th by Mr. John 



