1912.] 



REPORTS. 



367 



same spot on the following day. The House Martin, like the Swallow, 

 apparently took its departure earlier than usual, for as a rule they are 

 still to be seen well into November. Last year, too, the latest date for 

 seeing the bird was a remarkably eaily one, none being observed after 

 October 29th. 



Sand Martin. — This summer's observations again support the belief that 

 the Sand Martin does not nest here and that those seen are merely passing 

 through on their way further north. The only time this year that I saw 

 the bird was on April 23rd, when I noticed several flying about over the 

 Courtes Fallaizes cliffs above Moulin Huet, at St. Martin's. 



Swift. — The same, fortunately, cannot be said of that most interesting and 

 graceful bird, the Swift — the last of the Swallow tribe to arrive, and the 

 first to leave us. The Swift not only nests here, but, I am glad to say, 

 is becoming increasingly abundant. On May 6th Miss Kathleen Tardif 

 saw one at Fermain Bay, and on the evening of the same day I saw two 

 of the little Town Church band. The next day more of the church party 

 had airived, and on the 9th the company was apparently in full force. 

 On the 10th one flew over our garden at Les Blanches in the morning. 

 For three months or rather more the birds were delightfully en evidence 

 everywhere — in town and country, on the cliffs and inland. As last year 

 we lost sight of them very early I kept a particularly close watch on these 

 elusive members of our feathered visitors this summer, and in this I had 

 the valued assistance of Mr. E. D. Marquand, who was spending a holiday 

 here during August and part of September. Swifts continued numerous 

 all through August (last year very few were seen after July) and the 

 beginning of September ; from my notes I see that the Town Church 

 band was still in full force on August 10th, and at Havilland, St. 

 Martin's, a party numbering a dozen or more were seen by me almost 

 daily up to September 11th. The next day I saw a solitary one at Les 

 Maindonnaux, St Martin's, and the last on the 13th, not far from 

 Morley Chapel. Mr. Marquand noted some daily up to September 8th, 

 including one flying about north of Bordeaux on the 6th. Mr. 

 Marquand' s last date for seeing the bird was the 14th (one day later than 

 myself) when he and his son saw one flying about over St. Martin's Point. 



Corncrake. — The Corncrake has again been very little heard this summer. 

 To me it is pretty clear that the bird comes to the island in much 

 smaller numbers than formerly. This is probably owing to the steady 

 covering over of the land with dwelling and glass-houses and the break - 

 ing-up of what was once grass land into gardens, making it more and 

 more difficult for the bird to find cover. The " curious creaking cry " of 

 the Corncrake used to be one of the delights of a summer's evening walk 

 in the country, and it was pleasant too to hear the sound breaking the 

 stillness on a bright moonlight night. Now one listens for it m vain. 

 This year's observations are limited to three notes, all included within 

 the small space of eight days. On May 7th Mr. George F. Alles heard 

 the bird calling in the field opposite Morley chapel. Two days later I 

 heard the note in the same field both morning and evening, and on the 

 14th I chanced to hear the sound once more — this time in the neighbour- 

 hood of Oberland, at St. Martin's. The Bev. B. H. Tourtel wrote from 

 Torteval that he had not heard the bird this season. 



Ring Ousel.— At last the Bing Ousel has been caught halting here when on 

 the northward, or spring migration. Jurat Kinnersly saw one at Calais, 

 St. Martin's, on April 24th, and watched it for some considerable time. 

 Our Transactions have recorded the occurrence of the bird here in the 

 autumn on several occasions, but never until this year has it been reported 

 as occurring in the spring. Cecil Smith, in The Birds of Guernsey (1879), 

 wrote to the effect that he had no authentic evidence of the Bing Ousel 

 having ever been seen here in the spring or summer, but added that it 

 might occasionally visit the island in the spring migration. 



