The Yellow Hammer is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There are also a pair in the Museum.
62. CHAFFINCH. Fringilla caelebs, Linnaeus. French, "Pinson ordinaire," "Grosbec pinson."—- The Chaffinch is resident, tolerably common, and generally distributed throughout the Islands, but is nowhere so common as in England. In Guernsey this year, 1878, it seemed to me rather to have decreased in numbers, as I saw very few,—certainly not so many as in former years,—though I could not find that there was any reason for the decrease.
It is, of course, mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, but by him only marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is only one—a female—at present in the Museum.
63. BRAMBLING. Fringilla montifringilla, Linnaeus. French, "Pinson d'Ardennes." "Grosbec d'Ardennes."—The Brambling can only be considered an occasional autumn and winter visitant, and probably never very numerous. I have never seen the bird in the Channel Islands myself. I have, however, one specimen—a female—killed in Brock Road, Guernsey, in December, 1878, and I have been informed by Mr. MacCulloch that he had a note of the occurrence of the Brambling or Mountain Finch in January, 1855. It cannot, however, be looked upon as anything more than a very rare occasional straggler, by no means occurring every year.
It is mentioned in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen at present in the Museum.
64. TREE SPARROW. Passer montanus, Linnaeus. French, "Friquet."—The Tree Sparrow breeds, and is probably resident in the Islands. Up to this year, 1878, I have only seen it once myself, and that was on the 7th of June, 1876, just outside the grounds of the Vallon in Guernsey. From the date and from the behaviour of the bird I have no doubt it had a nest just inside the grounds. I could not then, however, make any great search for the nest without trespassing, though I got sufficiently near the bird to be certain of its identity. This year, 1878, I could not see one anywhere about the Vallon, either inside or outside the grounds. I saw, however, one or two about the Vale, but they were very scarce. I have not myself seen the Tree Sparrow in any of the other Islands.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Sark only. I have not seen a specimen at Mr. Couch's, or any of the other bird-stuffers, but there is one in the Museum and some eggs, all of which are probably Guernsey.
65. HOUSE SPARROW. Passer domesticus, Linnaeus. French, "Moineau domestique," "Grosbec moineau."—The House Sparrow is very numerous throughout the Islands, abounding where there are any buildings inhabited by either man, horses, or cattle. In the gardens near the town of St. Peter's Port, in Guernsey, it is very common, and does a considerable amount of mischief. It is, however, by no means confined to the parts near the town, as many were nesting in some ilex trees near the house we had on L'Ancresse Common, although the house had been empty since the previous summer, and the garden uncultivated; so food till we came must have been rather scarce about there. As the wheat is coming into ear the Sparrows, as in England, leave the neighbourhood of the town and other buildings and spread themselves generally over the country, for the purpose of devouring the young wheat while just coming into ear and still soft. In Alderney, owing probably in a great measure to the absence of cottages, farm-buildings, and stables at a distance from the town, and also perhaps owing to the absence of hedges, it is not so numerous in the open part, and consequently not so mischievous, being mostly confined to the town, and to the buildings about the harbour-works. The young wheat, however, is still a temptation, and is accordingly punished by the Sparrows.
The House Sparrow is mentioned by Professor Ansted in his list, but no letters are given marking the general distribution over the Islands, probably because it is so generally spread over them. The local Guernsey-French name is "Grosbec," for which see Métivier's 'Dictionary.'
66. HAWFINCH. Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas. French, "Grosbec."—The Hawfinch or Grosbeak, as it is occasionally called, is by no means common in Guernsey, and I have never seen it there myself, but I have a skin of one killed in the Catel Parish in December, 1878; and Mr. MacCulloch informs me it occasionally visits that Island in autumn, but in consequence of its shy and retiring habits it has probably been occasionally overlooked, and escaped the notice of the numerous gunners to whom it would otherwise have more frequently fallen a victim. The bird-stuffer and carpenter in Alderney had one spread out on a board and hung up behind his door, which had been shot by his friend who shot the Greenland Falcon, in the winter of 1876 and 1877, somewhere about Christmas. I know no instance of its remaining to breed in the Islands, though it may occasionally do so in Guernsey, as there are many places suited to it, and in which it might well make its nest without being observed. As it seems increasing in numbers throughout England, it is by no means improbable that it will visit the Channel Islands more frequently. The Hawfinch is included in Professor Ansted's list, and by him marked as occurring only in Guernsey. There are two specimens in the Museum.