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
103. GREY PLOVER. _Squatarola helvetica_, Linnaeus. French, "Vanneau
pluvier."--The Grey Plover is a regular but by no means numerous
visitant to the coast of all the Islands during the winter months, but I
have never found it in flocks like the Golden Plover. A few fall victims
to the numerous gunners who frequent the shores during the autumn and
winter, and consequently it occasionally makes its appearance in the
market, where I believe it often passes for a Golden Plover, especially
in the case of young birds on their first arrival in November; but for
the sake of the unknowing in such matters, I may say that they need
never be deceived, as the Grey Plover has a hind toe, and also has the
axillary plume or the longish feathers under the wing black, while the
Golden Plover has no hind toe and the axillary plume white: a little
attention to these distinctions, which hold good at all ages and in all
plumages, may occasionally save a certain amount of disappointment at
dinner time, as the Grey Plover is apt to taste muddy and fishy, and is
by no means so good as the Golden Plover.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as occurring
in Guernsey. There are two specimens in the Museum, both in winter
plumage. Indeed, I do not know that it even remains long enough in the
Channel Islands to assume, even partially, the black-breast of the
breeding plumage, as it so often does in England.
104. GOLDEN PLOVER. _Charadrius pluvialis_, Linnaeus. French, "Pluvier
dore."--A common winter visitant to all the Islands, arriving about the
end of October or beginning of November, and remaining till the spring,
sometimes till they have nearly assumed the black breast of the
breeding-season; but I do not know that the Golden Plover ever breeds in
the Islands, at all events in the present day.
Professor Ansted includes the Golden Plover in his list, and marks it as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is one specimen in the Museum,
probably killed rather late in the spring, as it is assuming the black
breast.
105. DOTTEREL. _Eudromias morinellus_, Linnaeus. French, "Pluvier
guignard."--The common Dotterel is a rare occasional visitant to the
Channel Islands, occurring, however, on both the spring and autumn
migration, as Mr. MacCulloch says he has a note of a Dotterel killed in
May, 1849; he does not say in which of the Islands, but probably in
Guernsey; and I have a skin of one, a fine full-plumaged bird, according
to Mr. Couch, who forwarded me the skin, a female by dissection, killed
in Herm on the 26th of April, 1877. Another skin I have is that of a
young bird of the year, killed in the autumn, I should think early in
the autumn--August or September; and the Rev. A. Morrës, who kindly gave
me this last one, has also a skin of one killed at the same time; both
of these were Guernsey killed.
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