Birds of Guernsey (1879): And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel Islands — John Shaqi
Birds of Guernsey (1879): And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel IslandsSmith, Cecil
History
Birds of Guernsey (1879): And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel Islands
Smith, Cecil
Birds -- Channel Islands
51. PIED WAGTAIL. _Motacilla lugubris_, Temminck. French, "Bergeronette
Yarrellii."[11]--The Pied Wagtail has probably been better known to
some of my readers as _Motacilla Yarrellii_, but, according to the
rules of nomenclature before alluded to, _Motacilla lugubris_ of
Temminck seems to have superseded the probably better-known name of
_Motacilla Yarrellii_.
For some reason or other the Pied Wagtail has grown much more scarce in
Guernsey than it used to be; at one time it was common even about the
town, running about by the gutters in the street, and several were
generally to be seen on the lawn at Candie. But this last summer--that
of 1878--I did not see one about Candie, or indeed anywhere else, except
one pair which were breeding near the Vale Church; and when there in
November, 1875, I only saw one, and that was near Vazon Bay. Mr.
MacCulloch has also noticed this growing scarcity of the Pied Wagtail,
as he writes to me--"Of late years, for some reason or other, Wagtails
of all sorts have become rare." In the summer of 1866, however, I found
the Pied Wagtail tolerably common.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in
Guernsey and Sark.
52. WHITE WAGTAIL. _Motacilla alba_, Linnaeus. French, "Lavendière,"
"Hoche-queue grise," "Bergeronette grise."--The White Wagtail is still
scarcer than the Pied, but I saw one pair evidently breeding between
L'ancresse Road and Grand Havre. The White Wagtail so much resembles
the Pied Wagtail, that it may have been easily overlooked, and may be
more common than is generally known.
The fully adult birds may easily be distinguished, especially when in
full breeding plumage, as the back of the Pied Wagtail is black, while
that of the White Wagtail is grey. After the autumnal moult, however,
the distinction is not quite so easy, as the feathers of the Pied
Wagtail are then margined with grey, which rather conceals the colour
beneath; but if the feathers are lifted up they will be found to be
black under the grey margins. The young birds of the year, in their
first feathers, cannot be distinguished, and the same may be said of the
eggs.
The White Wagtail is included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as
only occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen either of the Pied or
White Wagtail in the Museum.
53. GREY WAGTAIL. _Motacilla melanope_, Pallas. French, "Bergeronette
jaune."--The Grey Wagtail is by no means common in the Islands, though
it may occasionally remain to breed, as I have seen it both in Guernsey
and Sark between the 21st of June and the end of July in 1866, but I
have not seen it in any of the Islands during the autumn. It is,
however, no doubt an occasional, though never very numerous, winter
visitant, probably more common, however, at this time of year than in
the summer, as I have one in winter plumage shot in Guernsey in
December, and another in January, 1879, and there is also one in the
Museum in winter plumage.
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