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
The Rook is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list as occurring in
Guernsey only, and there are two specimens in the Museum, both probably
Guernsey killed.
80. MAGPIE. _Pica rustica_, Scopoli. French, "Pie", "Pie
ordinaire."--The Magpie is resident and tolerably common in Guernsey,
breeding in several parts of the Island; it is also resident, but I
think not quite so common, in Sark. I do not remember having seen it in
Alderney, and the almost entire absence of trees would probably prevent
it being anything more than an occasional visitant to that Island.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as only occurring
in Guernsey; and there are two specimens in the Museum.
81. LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. _Picus minor_, Linnaeus. French, "Pie
épeichette."--As may be expected, the Woodpeckers are not strongly
represented in the Islands, and the present species, the Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker, is the only one as to the occurrence of which I can get any
satisfactory evidence.
Professor Ansted, however, includes the Greater Spotted Woodpecker in
his list, and marks it as occurring in Guernsey only; and there is one
specimen of the Green Woodpecker, _Gecinus viridis_, in the Museum, but
there is no note whatever as to its locality; so under these
circumstances I have not thought it right to include either species. But
as to the occurrence of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, though I have not
seen it myself, nor have I a Channel Island specimen, I have some more
evidence; for in reply to some questions of mine on the subject, Mr.
Couch wrote to me in April, 1877, "Respecting the Woodpecker, you may
fully rely on the Lesser Spotted as having been shot here, four examples
having passed through my hands; and writing from memory I will, as near
as possible, tell you when and where they were shot. I took a shop here
in 1866. In the month of August, 1867, there was one brought to me
alive, shot in the water lanes, just under Smith's Nursery by a young
gent at the College; he wounded it in the wing. I wanted too much to
stuff it (2s. 6d.); he took the poor bird out, fixed it somewhere; he
and his companions fired at it so often they blew it to atoms. The same
year, early in September, one was shot at St. Martin's; I stuffed that
for a lady: there were four in the same tree; the day following they
were not to be found. The second week in October, the same year I had
one, and stuffed it for the person who shot it out at St. Saviour's;
there were two besides in the same tree, but I had neither one myself.
In 1868, I stuffed one that was shot at St. Peter's, in December; it was
taken home the Christmas Eve. These were all I have had, but I have
heard of their being seen about since, twice or three times." In
addition to this letter, which I have no reason to doubt, Mr. MacCulloch
wrote me word--"We have in the Museum a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, shot
near Havilland Hall, in November, 1855; I saw it before it was stuffed."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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