It is included by Professor Ansted in his list, but marked as occurring only in Guernsey.

57.  ROCK PIPIT. Anthus obscurus, Latham.  French, “Pipit obsur,” “Pipit spioncelle.”—­Resident and numerous, breeding amongst the rocks and round the coast of all the Islands.  It is also common in all the small outlying Islands, such as Burhou, and all the little rocky Islands that stretch out to the northward of Herm, and are especially the home of the Puffin and the Lesser Black-backed Gull.  On all of these the Rock Pipit may be found breeding, but its nest is generally so well concealed amongst the thrift samphire, wild stock, and other seaside plants which grow rather rankly amongst those rocks, considering how little soil there generally is for them and what wild storms they are subject to, that it is by no means easy to find it, though one may almost see the bird leave the nest.

The Bock Pipit is included in Professor Ansted’s list, but marked as only occurring in Guernsey.  All the Rock Pipits I have seen in the Channel Islands have been the common form, Anthus obscurus; I have never seen one of the rufous-breasted examples which occur in Scandinavia and the Baltic, and have by some been separated as a distinct species under the name of Anthus rupestris.

58.  SKY LARK. Alauda arvensis, Linnaeus.  French, “Alouette des champs.”—­Mr. Metivier, in his ‘Dictionary,’ gives Houedre as the local Guernsey-French name of the Sky Lark.  As may be supposed by its having a local name, it is a common and well-known bird, and is resident in all the Islands.  I have not been able to find that its numbers are much increased by migrants at any time of year, though probably in severe weather in the winter the Sky Larks flock a good deal, as they do in England.  The Sky Lark breeds in all the Islands, and occasionally places its nest in such exposed situations that it is wonderful how the young escape.  One nest we found by a roadside near Ronceval; it was within arm’s length of the road, and seemed exposed to every possible danger.  When we found it, on the 15th of June, there were five eggs in it, fresh, or, at all events, only just sat on, as I took one and blew it for one of my daughters.  On the 19th we again visited the nest; there were then four young ones in it, but they were so wonderfully like the dry grass which surrounded the nest in colour that it was more difficult to find it then than when the eggs were in it, and except for the young birds moving as they breathed I think we should not have found it a second time.  A few days after—­July the 3rd—­there was very heavy rain all night.  Next day we thought the Sky Larks must be drowned (had they been Partridges under the care of a keeper they would have been), but as it was only one was washed out of the nest and drowned; the rest were all well and left the nest a few days after.  So in spite of the exposed situation close to a frequented road, on a bit of common ground where goats and cows were tethered, nets and seaweed, or “vraic,” as it is called in Guernsey, spread for drying, dogs, cats, and children continually wandering about, and without any shelter from rain, the old birds brought off three young from their five eggs.