"Geai." Mr.
Gallienne, in a note to Professor Ansted's list, confirms the scarcity
of the Jay, as he says the Rook and the Jay are rarely seen here,
although they are indigenous to Jersey. The local name "Geai" may
perhaps have misled him as to the occasional appearance of the Jay. I
have never seen a real Jay in Guernsey myself.
As far as I am able to judge from occasional visits to the Island for
the last thirty years the Mistletoe Thrush has greatly increased in
numbers in Guernsey, especially within the last few years, and Mr.
MacCulloch and others who are resident in the Island quite agree with me
in this. I do not think its numbers are much increased at any time of
year by migrants, though a few foreigners may arrive in the autumn, at
which time of year considerable numbers of Mistletoe Thrushes are
brought into the Guernsey market, where they may be seen hanging in
bunches with Common Thrushes, Redwings, Blackbirds, Fieldfares,
Starlings, and an occasional Ring Ouzel. Fieldfares and Mistletoe
Thrushes usually sell at fourpence each, the rest at fourpence a couple.
Professor Ansted mentions it in his list, but confines it to Guernsey
and Sark. This is certainly not now the case, as I have seen it nearly
as numerous in Alderney and Herm as any of the other Islands. There is a
specimen in the Museum.
23. SONG THRUSH. _Turdus musicus_, Linnaeus. French, "Grive," "Merle
Grive."--Very common and resident in all the Islands, and great is the
destruction of snails by Thrushes and Blackbirds--in fact, nowhere have
I seen such destruction as in the Channel Islands, especially in
Guernsey and Herm, where every available stone seems made use of, and to
considerable purpose, to judge from the number of snail-shells to be
found about; and yet the gardeners complain quite as much of damage to
their gardens, especially in the fruit season, by Blackbirds and
Thrushes, as the English gardeners and seem equally unready to give
these birds any credit for the immense destruction of snails, which, if
left alone, would scarcely have left a green thing in the garden.
The local name of the Thrush is "Mauvis." It is, of course, included in
Professor Ansted's list, but with the Fieldfare, Redwing, and Blackbird,
marked as only occurring in Guernsey and Sark. All these birds, however,
are equally common in Alderney, Herm, and Jethou. There is also a
specimen of each in the Museum.
24. REDWING. _Turdus iliacus_, Linnaeus. Frenc
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