Page:VCH Cornwall 1.djvu/397

 BIRDS 245. Wood-Sandpiper. Totanus glareola (J. F. Gmelin). A passing visitor in spring and autumn, for the most part in immature plumage ; in some years fairly common ; has been shot in May and in June ; may have nested in the county ; a rare autumn casual at Scilly. An adult male was shot there 29 August, 1878. 246. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochropus (Linn.). A regular visitor in early autumn, singly or in small flocks, but has been observed in the county during every month of the year. Its occurrence and behaviour at times suggest it may be breeding, but no nest has ever been found ; an early autumn visitor to Scilly. 247. Solitary Sandpiper. Totanus solitarius (Wilson). An accidental straggler ; one shot at St. Mary's, Scilly, 19 September, 1882, and one on Marazion Marsh in October, 1884. 248. Yellowshank. Totanus flavipes (J. F. Gmelin). An accidental straggler shot at Marazion by Edward Vingoe, 12 September, 1871. J. Gatcombe, writing to E. H. Rodd a few days after its capture, says : 'There is great probability of its being the only authenticated British bird, as great doubts are expressed about Yarrell's bird.' 249. Redshank. Totanus caladm (Linn.). A winter visitor, occasionally common, but usually in small numbers ; in most years commoner as a pass- ing migrant late in the autumn ; remarkably abundant below Truro Quay in December, 1 90 1, and January, 1902 ; for the last few years has been seen on spring migration, nested on the Goss Moors in 1904, frequently seen on the ponds at Tresco from early autumn till mid-winter. 250. Spotted Redshank. Totanus juscus (Linn.). A casual visitor occasionally met with in August on the western marshes, always in immature plumage ; one shot on Bryher, Scilly, 26 August, 1870. 251. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (J. F. Gmelin). A passing visitor in autumn and occasionally in spring to the brackish pools and tidal rivers ; frequently solitary, sometimes in twos and threes ; irregular in its appearance, except at Scilly, where it is a winter visitor, and often fairly plentiful. 252. Red-breasted Snipe. Macrorhampus griseus (J. F. Gmelin). An accidental straggler shot on the higher moors, St. Mary's, Scilly, by Pechell, on 3 October, 1857. 253. Bar-tailed Godwit. Limosa lafponica (Linn.). A passing visitor in autumn, occasionally in large flocks, and almost always in immature plumage. Small flocks may linger on the sands and mudflats of the estuaries for weeks ; in autumn and winter fairly common at Scilly. 254. Black-tailed Godwit. Limosa belgica (J. F. Gmelin). An uncommon spring and autumn casual in the western half of the county, including Scilly ; most recent occurrences, September, 1893, at Helford river, and October, 1904, near Camborne. The latest record for Scilly is one repeatedly seen on St. Mary's between 8 and 12 April, 1903. 255. Curlew. Numenius aryuata (Linn.). Resident ; breeds on the moorland marshes through- out the county ; spends the winter by the shore, coming up to the moors in March ; frequents Scilly all the year round, but does not breed. 256. Whimbrel. Numenius phaeopus (Linn.). Locally, Little curlew ; Half curlew ; May-bird. A regular passing visitor in the beginning of May, and again from July to September ; usually common in season all along the coast, but very rarely shot inland. Not so plentiful in the autumn at Scilly as formerly. It may, however, be a regular bird of passage there in the spring, as in May, 1903, there must have been several hundred on St. Mary's, and in April, 1904, several were seen on the beach at Tresco. 257. Esquimaux Curlew. Numenius borealis (J. R. Foster). An accidental straggler shot at Tresco, Scilly, by Dorrien-Smith, 10 September, 1887. 258. Black Tern. Hydrochelldon nigra (Linn.). A fairly regular passing visitor on both the north and south coasts in autumn, formerly rare on the return journey, but since 1901 has appeared regularly at Swanpool or Marazion, and once at Scilly in April or early in May, usually along with swallows and martins. 259. White-winged Black Tern. Hydrochelidon leucoptera (Schinz). An accidental straggler, once obtained at Tresco, Scilly, 14 May, 1882, and once in 1887 at Sennen. 260. Whiskered Tern. Hydrochelidon hybrida (Pallas). An accidental straggler, shot at Tresco, Scilly, on 2 September, 1851. 261. Gull-billed Tern. Sterna ang/ica, Mont. An accidental straggler, killed at Tresco in May, 1852, and at St. Just, Penzance, in July, 1872. 262. Sandwich Tern. Sterna cantiana, ]. F. Gmelin. Until about fifteen years ago bred regularly at Scilly, and still does so occasionally ; a frequent casual along our south coast from Looe westward in the autumn, and about Mount's Bay in the spring. 263. Roseate Tern. Sterna dougalli, Montagu. Bred at Scilly as late as 1854, and seen there by F. R. Rodd in September, 1867 ; two specimens killed at Mount's Bay in 1842. 264. Common Tern. Sternafuviatilis, Naumann. A summer migrant, but more abundant as an autumn visitor on migration ; in severe weather often seen in winter occasionally, as in 1890-1, in very large flocks ; breeds sparingly along the coast, and freely at Scilly, though the number there in nesting time is very much less than it was twenty years ago. 265. Arctic Tern. Sterna macrura, Naumann. A summer migrant at Scilly, where in 1903 it was not so plentiful as the common tern, though twelve years ago it was the dominant species ; on the main- land is common on spring and autumn migration, but is not known to breed. 266. Little Tern. Sterna minuta, Linn. A summer migrant, still breeding in one locality ; a not infrequent visitor to the west of the county in spring, sometimes in flocks, and occasionally reappearing 345 44