1922.] 



REPORTS.. 85 



April 1 6th and reports that the bird was here in big numbers this 

 summer. Mr. W. H Jones heard the bird on April 14th 



TREE CREEPER. — Miss Brock has reported seeing tree creepers. On 

 August 19th I watched one for some time in a lane below St. Saviour's 

 Church. 



SPOTTED FLY-CATCHER.— In July I was able to watch for some days 

 a pair of spotted flycatchers that had built in the Vardes, St. Peter- 

 Port. It was interesting to observe the domestic arrangements of the 

 little household and the butterfly evolutions of the parent birds who 

 would sometimes perch so close that the fly in the beak was plainly 

 visible. The nest contained two young flycatchers and very hungry 

 they always appeared to be. The spotted flycatcher is wont to return 

 to the same nest year after year so I am hoping to renew the acquain- 

 tance of this pair next summer. But a few yards from the fly catchers 

 nest a pair of blackbirds and a pair of robins had also built, and at this 

 time both of their nests also contained young birds. 



SWALLOW. — An Italian proverb says that on St. Gregory's day, March 

 12th, the swallow crosses the water — that is, arrives in Europe. 

 In the reports published in the Society's Transactions and which cover 

 a period of 20 years there is no mention of a March swallow ; April is 

 apparently always in before any of the advance guard, having com- 

 pleted the overland journey, reach Guernsey. This year I saw one at 

 the top of George Road on April 15th and another at St. Saviour's on 

 the 17th and Miss Brock reports observing some at the Corbiere on 

 the 23rd. After the first week of May swallows were more frequently 

 seen but all through the summer were never numerous. Miss Brock's 

 last date for seeing the migrant was October 25th when from 20 to 30 

 were flying about the Petit Bot valley for a few hours. On the same 

 day I saw two or three near Morley chapel and on the 27th my friend 

 Mr. Edward Rammell observed two hawking in Queen's Road. 



HOUSE MARTIN. — Of the arrival of the house martin this year I have 

 no particulars. They came silently and unobserved, scattering about 

 the island with the swallows and often mistaken for them. On Octo- 

 ber 4th, Mr. W. H. Jones, of Les Hubits, reported seeing " large flocks 

 at Fermain." These were evidently migrating, and later in the 

 month, when much boisterous weather prevailed and strong easterly 

 winds and gales swept the island, other flocks were observed elsewhere. 

 In the late afternoon of October 26th I saw some three to four dozen 

 flying round Clifton Hall in very playful mood, and in the early mor- 

 ning of the 28th, Capt. and Mrs. McCrea saw a flock, estimated at 

 200 strong, flying about King' sRoad and Belmont where they were 

 attracting considerable notice. On October 30th and 31st Mr. S. M. 

 Henry observed a few at the Pierre Percee. 



SAND MARTIN. — On August 1st, in the afternoon, I saw a dozen or 

 more sand martins hawking for flies over the Vale Pond. Three 

 years ago, at the same spot, I saw a good many one August afternoon. 



GOLDFINCH. — It is interesting to be able to record that goldfinches 

 have been seen this year. In her notes Miss Brock laments the appa- 

 rent absence of this bird and the tree pipit which, in spite of being 

 carefully watched for for years, she said, she had never seen, adding that 

 the late Cecil Smith had written of the former bird as a not numerous 

 resident, and of the latter asa" numerous summer visitant." This was 

 in 1878. At the end of June, this year, (1922) several pairs of gold- 

 finches were seen by Jurat Kinnersly in his garden at Calais which 

 they haunted for some considerable time afterwards. On July 2nd, 

 I myself saw several of these birds in the Calais lane and one in Jurat 

 Kinnersly's garden also* 



