274 



REPORTS. 



making their first appearance there) but did not see any. I told my 

 errand to an acquaintance who was on the hill at the time. I had not 

 long returned home when he telephoned me that shortly after I left he 

 had seen three coming from over the sea." Next day Mr. Hocart saw 

 several flying around Les Mielles. Mr. Derrick also saw some near the 

 Coupee, Sark, on Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday afternoon (April 

 17th) while out in the country with my brother-in-law, Mr. G. F. Alles, 

 we watched several Swallows flying about over some fields between St. 

 Apolline's Chapel and the coast, at St. Saviour's, and the same evening 

 we both saw another at La Planque, St. Martin's. As far as my own 

 observations go Swallows did not become numerous until the second week 

 in May — on the 9th of that month however I saw quite a number on the 

 Petit Port cliffs. As regards their departure I observed them to be 

 exceedingly numerous up to and including October 12th, after which fewer 

 were seen, and on the 19th very few indeed. Between the 19th and the 

 25th, I did not see a single Swallow, but on the latter date saw a solitary 

 one at the Vardes, near Colborne-road. On the 29th some were flying 

 round the old Camps Mill, St. Martin's, and also at Les Blanches, during 

 the early afternoon. On the 31st I saw several in the neighbourhood of 

 the mill at the top of the Ruettes Brayes, and the last on Thursday 

 afternoon, November 9th, near the Tunnel at La Vallette. Mr. Hocart 

 reports seeing a large flight of Swallows going south on the evening of 

 September 26th, after which date the birds were in fewer numbers at 

 L'Ancresse, and he saw the last on October 23rd. 



House Martin. — Again, as last year, I have the record of my own observa- 

 tions only to give you. The first House Martins I saw were on April 27th 

 when quite a number of these interesting little birds were sporting about 

 near the Bathing Places On May 9th they were numerous on the Petit 

 Port cliffs at St. Martin's. About the departure of the House Martin 

 my Notes are scanty, but I saw some in Fermain Green Lane on October 

 17th, then none apparently until Sunday, the 29th, when two or three 

 were flying round St. Martin's Church Tower at 10.40 a.m. Last year 

 I saw one as late as November 15th, and in 1908 on November 17th. 



Sand Martin.— Sand Martins are never very plentiful here so that their 

 occurrence is worth putting on record. On May 9th I saw a single bird 

 on the Petit Port cliffs, and on the 23rd of the same month I saw several 

 flying about over the Fermain cliffs in the early morning. Cecil Smith 

 considered the Sand Martin to be merely a spring visitant to Guernsey, 

 not remaining to breed, but only halting here for a few days on its 

 journey north. And in the Ornithological Report for 1909, Mr. 

 E. D. Marquand mentioned having seen some in April and May, but not 

 later, and added that he had not observed Sand Martins at Guernsey for 

 several years previously. 



Swift.— On May 8th, a hot, sunny morning, I saw a Swift circling the Town 

 Church Tower, evidently one of the little band that yearly takes up 

 residence there By the 11th the company was apparently in full force 

 for I saw quite a number chasing each other round the tower and battle- 

 ments, screeching loudly as they flew. My last dates for seeing these 

 very interesting members of the swallow tribe were August 17th, one 

 near the Doyle monument at Jerbourg, and August 25th, one flying over 

 the Candie-road at St. Andrew's in the evening. This, I should like to 

 add, is a most unusually early date for last seeing Swifts, and the fact, 

 too, that none were seen between the dates given above is extraordinary. 

 I have seen Swifts in some years in the second week of September, and in 

 1907 Mr. E. D. Marquand saw one as late as September 26th. 



SwallOW Tribe.— Early on Tuesday, May 23rd, a sunny and warm morning 

 with gentle west breeze, I had the pleasure of watching Swifts, Swallows, 

 House Martins and Sand Martins flying about together over the Fermain 

 Cliffs. It was a particularly interesting sight, and they looked a very 



