The Zoologist/3rd series, vol 1 (1877)/Issue 7/Ornithological Notes from Devon and Cornwall

by John Gatcombe

 

ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL.

By John Gatcombe.

 

The following interesting varieties have lately come under my notice:—A Common Snipe, the plumage of which exhibited the usual markings of the species, but were exceedingly faint and on a buff ground: I once obtained a very similar specimen in Leadenhall Market, and have heard of others. A Blackbird having a large round pure white spot on either cheek, the rest of the plumage being of a fine black, similar to that of an ordinary old male; bill, rich yellow. Mr. Clogg, of Looe, kindly sent me a rather pretty variety of the Chaffinch, with a pure white line running through its eyes and round the back of the head, giving it a singular appearance: the plumage, otherwise, was of the usual tint. I may here add that the white Pipit mentioned in my last notes as being in the possession of Mr. Marshall, of Taunton, proved to be Anthus Richardi.

A short time since, when visiting a creek by the side of the St. Germains River, I witnessed a somewhat unusual and interesting sight. A flight of about thirty Redshanks were making towards a sheltered bay; but before reaching the land, to my great surprise, they all suddenly alighted on the water, much out of their depth, and quietly swam towards the shore, in a rather compact body, until their feet touched the bottom, when they waded in and commenced feeding in their usual manner. The water at the time being quite unruffled, glassy, and very clear, they were doubtless deceived as to its depth, but did not appear in the least astonished at being obliged to swim. The sight was really a pretty and interesting one, and, but for their long orange-coloured bills, they might, easily have been mistaken for a flock of Teal. Mr. Thompson, in his 'Birds of Ireland,' states that Redshanks often alight on the sea where it is deep; but, to the surprise of a shooter in Belfast Bay, on November 20th, 1847, three of these birds appeared swimming about and busily feeding on the surface of water about eight feet in depth, and, from their turning quickly about in all directions, he at first imagined they were Gray Phalaropes.

On March 6th I heard Herring Gulls crying in the air, as they do during the nesting season, and many Pied Wagtails had nearly assumed their perfect summer dress. Curlews were numerous on our rivers, but some had already taken themselves off to the moors. A few Black-headed Gulls had left for their nesting quarters. On the 10th many Kittiwakes were brought to a local birdstuffer, but I found among them only one that had assumed the nuptial attire. Razorbills and Guillemots were at the same time obtained in full summer dress. A Gannet and Manx Shearwater were also shot, and I was informed that hundreds of the latter species might have been seen in the channel off Plymouth. On the I3th I met with many more flocks of Redshanks, and I understand that within the last few years immense flocks have remained on our rivers during the winter. The Lesser Black-backed Gulls had completely taken the place of the Great Black-backed, and were to be seen daily flying in pairs on all parts of the coast and in our harbours, sometimes resting on the mud-banks in large flocks. I am sorry to add that, up to April 1st, numbers were wantonly killed. It is a great pity that gulls and other sea birds should be destroyed so shortly before their breeding time.

I noticed Black Redstarts in two localities near Plymouth until March 17th, but soon alter that dale they had nearly all left the coast. Titlarks were daily to be seen mounting in the air, as in the nesting season, and Mews (Larus canus) were plentiful in our harbours, as they generally are just before leaving for their breeding places.

Mr. Clogg sends me word that he saw a flock of Whimbrels on March 21st, also some Turnstones and a Chiffchaff. I never met with the Whimbrel so early myself, indeed not before the end of April; but Mr. Stevenson, in his 'Birds of Norfolk,' says that it may be occasionally seen in March and April, though of course the main body comes in May. Possibly the birds seen by Mr. Clogg might have wintered in the locality.

I remarked the first pair of Wheatears for the season in the vicinity of Plymouth, on March 26th; and on the 28th many more Redshanks on the mud-banks of the St. Germain's River, hence, as they remain with us during the winter, and I believe until late in spring, I am beginning to hope that, if unmolested, some may at length be induced to nest in the neighbourhood.

On April 10th I observed a Blackcap and Tree Pipit in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, and found Chiffchaffs very plentiful. There were still a few Redshanks on the mud-banks of the St. Germain's River. On the 14th I visited the cliffs of Wembury, at the entrance of the River Yealm, where some two or three hundred Herring Gulls were assembled at their annual breeding place, but I could not distinguish any nests, although from the actions of the birds I feel sure there must have been many. A solitary adult Blackheaded Gull was observed off the Plymouth Hoe during a severe gale on the 17th, long after the rest had left for their breeding stations. On the 25th I walked to Whitsand Bay, on the Cornish coast, where I observed a Common Sandpiper—the first I had seen this year—and five Scoters. Several Swallows came in direct from the sea, and many were afterwards observed along the coast: weather bright, but the wind blowing hard from the south-east.

Again visited the gulls at Wembury on April 28th, and then observed several nests, some of which contained eggs. A pair of Peregrines had a nest in the same locality, and the male kept flying swiftly round, making a great noise. I was sorry to see a number of boys searching for nests amongst the cliffs: they had collected upwards of forty eggs of the Jackdaw and one of the Herring Gull. The Peregrines are also occasionally robbed of their eggs and young. Some years ago a shipwright's lad took three young ones from a nest at Wembury, one of which I purchased and kept alive for a long time; and afterwards, hearing that he had still another left, I thought I would endeavour to get that also. On calling at the yard in which the young man worked, he told me that he lived on the other side of the water, but that if I would not mind waiting until six o'clock, the time he left work, he would row me across to see the bird. On my asking whether he kept it confined in a cage or in a garden, he replied that it was quite free and flew about wherever it liked, but would come to his call or whistle from any distance within sight or hearing. On landing and walking into the village, my companion began to call and whistle, when suddenly, to my astonishment, I saw the falcon swoop down from the corner of a high building at the end of a street, and alight on his shoulder. I did not purchase it because I found that it had injured and disfigured its bill, the tip of which was completely broken off, from a habit it had of striking at and trying to tear stones thrown to it by the boys of the village. I have often since regretted that I did not buy this docile bird, for possibly the bill might have become right in time.

On the rocks at Wembury I remarked a Cormorant in rather peculiar plumage. The whole of the lower parts, from the chin downwards, were almost white, and the back and wings apparently of a silvery gray, but I was not near enough to see whether the edges of the feathers were darker. It had the appearance of a young bird of the last year, the plumage of which had been bleached by the weather. Mr. Clogg mentions having seen a similar bird on the Cornish coast a month or two since.

Lesser Blackbacked Gulls were still about on April 28th, but most of the old breeding birds had left. On the 30th there were three young Ravens, almost as large as their parents, out of the nest at Bovisand, flying and hopping about on the summit of the cliff. To my knowledge, Ravens have nested in the same place for forty years. A Kestrel had its nest close to the Ravens, and others were found breeding all along the coast. Returning from Bovisand across the Sound, I heard and saw two Whimbrel, and remarked a pair of Razorbills in full summer plumage.

Whimbrels were numerous on the mud-banks of the River Lynher on May 2nd, and Whitethroats were plentiful in the hedgerows along the coast. A Swift was flying over Stonehouse on the 4th, and the first House Martins made their appearance in the neighbourhood on the same day; wind east, blowing very strong and cold. By the 7th the weather had become mild and warm, more Swifts were seen, and I observed Jackdaws circling in the air after insects, in the manner of Swallows and Starlings during still and warm weather—a habit I had not before noticed in these birds. I was also pleased to see several pairs of Water Ouzels on different parts of the River Erme: they doubtless had nests in the vicinity.

A few days after I visited a small heronry, consisting of six or seven nests, which has been formed within the last three or four years on some oak trees in Cheviock Wood, on the Cornish side of the Lynher, near St. Germains. It is most probably an offshoot from the old-established colony at Warleigh, by the side of the Tavy, a Devonshire stream, some miles distant, and although small is I think entitled to be added to the list of British heronries. The old birds left the trees and their nests long before I got near them, but on searching among the brushwood beneath I found a dead young one, in the down, which had evidently been blown out of the nest during a very heavy gale from the N.E. a short time previously. This young bird, being almost black from decomposition, had much the appearance of a young Cormorant, but the "grizzly" crest peculiar to nestling Herons was very conspicuous. Its legs seemed somewhat thick and swollen or puffed up, especially about the knees. On coming down the river, towards high water, I remarked large flocks of Curlews resting in the fields awaiting the ebb, and numbers of Dunlins with fine black breasts along the shore, some of which, remaining on low rocks until the flowing tide had completely covered their legs, appeared as if actually floating on its surface.

About the middle of May several Sanderlings, in partial breeding plumage, one Lesser and two Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, which had been obtained in the neighbourhood, were sent for preservation to a Plymouth birdstuffer. Whimbrels and other waders about the same time were constantly passing over the town at night, making a great noise.

Many more Herring Gulls were sitting at Wembury on May 17th, and I remarked a large female Peregrine flying round the cliffs. Two fine adult Cormorants examined by me about this time had already lost almost all traces of the early spring plumage, which is usually the case at this time of the year, the head, neck, and whole under parts being of a fine blue-black, without a sign of the slender white filamentous plumelets on the neck or oval spot above the thigh; the white patch under the chin and crest on the nape still remained, but it seems strange that the so-called summer plumage should so soon begin to disappear.

Again visited Wembury on May 23rd, and found many more eggs in the nests, but as yet no young. However, I am sorry to add that these nests, where at all accessible, are almost daily robbed by boys. Whilst looking down with my glass upon a small projecting ledge at the extreme edge of a fearful precipice on which was a gull's nest containing a single egg, to my great surprise and horror, a lad crept suddenly round on his hands and knees, and after securing the egg, not having room to stand or turn, was actually obliged to sit bolt upright in the nest, with his back against the cliff and his legs dangling over a perpendicular precipice one hundred feet above the sea! Catching sight of me, as I supposed, he at once became motionless, but apparently quite composed, with his arms crossed on his breast and his face turned upwards, as if intently watching the sky, and so he remained until I was on the eve of calling out; but thinking that, should he not have observed me, my voice might startle him, and being, moreover, unable to render any assistance, I quietly walked back out of sight, anxiously awaiting his return to the summit, which, to my great satisfaction, ultimately took place. Upon asking him why he so recklessly risked his life, he replied that his passion for birds-nesting was so strong he really could not resist, notwithstanding he had already broken his arm three times, besides meeting with various other accidents. The place on which he sat was, he owned, most dangerous, and that when getting round to the ledge, had a tuft or even a few blades of grass given way, he certainly must have lost his life; but he was used to climbing and feared no danger. His reason for remaining motionless on the nest was that, mistaking me for one of the coast-guard, or perhaps a keeper, he kept still, hoping that I might not remark him, and was obliged to fix his eyes upwards, not daring to look down. I fully intended to give him a good "jobation" for taking eggs at all, but after the great pluck displayed could not find it in my heart to say much. However, he promised not to come again or touch a young gull at any place. The rents in his clothes were indeed a sight to behold.

The same afternoon I was grieved to hear that the Peregrine Falcon, to which I have before referred, had been killed by a farmer of the neighbourhood, from whom she had at various times carried away no less than twelve young turkeys, no end of chickens, and a pair of Ring Doves that were breeding near his house. I afterwards examined this same bird at a birdstuffer's, and found the remains of a chick in her stomach. The male (a very small one), I am glad to say, still remains in the locality of the gulls, and is constantly chased by those indignant birds; but I fear we shall have no brood of young falcons at Wembury this year.

On May 31st a nice Long-eared Owl was brought to a birdstuffer at Stonehouse. This species is very uncommon in the neighbourhood of Plymouth.

 

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