12 imports. 



brickfield and one was observed flying in the neighbourhood of 

 the Town Church, and on May 2 several were flying round and 

 about the Tower — a favourite occupation of some dozen and more 

 every summer. The swift makes a comparatvely short stay with 

 us. Towards the end of July the Town Church band disappears 

 (this year, as nearly as possible, on tjie 25th). About the country 

 I saw none after August 16. In the afternoon of that day one 

 flew over Les Blanches. 



Corncrake. — Besides myself, Mr. 8. M. Henry was the only one 

 of our observers to note the croak of the corncrake and the ob- 

 servations were all made from June 1 to 9. Mr. Henry heard 

 the bird at the Rue a POr, St. Peter-Port, and I (on three days) 

 at St. Martin's. Summer in the country does not seem complete 

 without the elusive voice of the land rail and it is much to be re- 

 gretted that in recent years so very few of these birds have come 

 to the island. 



Nightjar.— Miss Brock saw a nightjar at St. Peter's on May 9. 



This is the first reported occurrence of the nightjar since 1916. 



Blackcap Warbler.— Mr. F. L. Tanner and Miss Brock have 

 each supplied me with notes on the occurrence of the blackcap. 

 Mr. Tanner saw one in his garden at Vauvert on March 6. The 

 bird was perched in one of the trees and sang there for two or 

 three minutes. Miss Brock wrote: "First heard May 5. Rare, 

 but heard in three different localities." Other references to the 

 blackcap will be found in the Transactions for 1904 and 1907. 

 Cecil Smith, author of "The Birds of Guernsey," writing in 1878, 

 said: "The blackcap though a regular, is by no means a numer- 

 ous summer visitant." 



BSi.g'hting'aBe. — The, probably, most interesting note of the year 

 comes from, St. Peter's -in- the- Wood, where, at the Clos du 

 Coudre, the nightingale was heard singing by Dr. and Mrs. Felt- 

 ham. This was in the month of May and "it sang every night 

 at about 10 o'clock and was noticed for about a week.'' It is 

 particularly pleasing to* record another occurrence of this exceed- 

 ingly rare bird visitor to Guernsey the last mention of which will 

 be found in the 1914 Transactions. In that number dates are 

 given of the few recorded occasions when the bird has been ob- 

 served in this island and at Alderney. 



Little Bittern. — A lttle bittern was shot at Le Marais, Vale, on 

 one of the first days of October, and presented to the Guille-Alles 

 Museum by Mr. G. Snell, of Victoria Avenue, St. Sampson's. 

 The little bittern is a very rare visitor and until now there was 

 no specimen in the Museum. Cecil Smith wrote (1878) that he 

 knew of one occurrence only of the little bittern in the Channel 

 Islands. The specimen in question was caught alive in the Vale 

 Road in November, 1876. 



Whimbrel. — Miss Brock reports that her brother, Wing-Com- 

 mander Brock, saw a whimbrel at Co-bo, but mentions no date. 

 In September, 1865, Col. A. H. Ceilings saw large flocks at Vazon 



To quote in full from Miss Brock's interesting notes is 

 not possible in the space at my disposal, but I cannot con- 

 clude the Report without including the following extracts : — 



