Wallcreeper
Tichodroma muraria (Linnaeus, 1766) (6, 0)
Photo © By Kookaburra 81 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59192173
STATUS
Europe to central China. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
The first for Britain was realised 80 years later when correspondence between Robert Marsham and Gilbert White was analysed. All records as per BOU (1971).
RECORDS
1). 1792 Norfolk Stratton Hall, Stratton Strawless, shot, 30th October.
(T. Bell, Zoologist 1875: 4664-65; J. H. Gurney, jun., Zoologist 1875: 4695; Marsham & White, Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society 2: 180, 184,188; Lubbock, 1879; Southwell, 1890; BOU, 1915).
History Thomas Bell of Selborne (1875) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. X. pp. 4664-65, dated 24th September 1875, says: 'On looking through the mass of correspondence of Gilbert White, I have found the following passage in a letter from Robert Marsham, F.R.S. of Stratton Hall, to Gilbert White, dated 30th October, 1792: - "My man has just now shot me a bird which was flying about my house. I am confident I have never its likeness before. But on application to Willughby, I conclude it is the Wallcreeper or spider-catcher. I find he had not seen it in England. It is very beautifully coloured, though the chief is cinereous; but the shades of red on the wings, and the large spots of white and yellow on the quill feathers are uncommonly pleasing".
I presume Marsham was right in his conjectures as to the species, and as I have never met with any mention of its occurrence in England, we may give him the credit of discovering the Tichodroma phoenicoptera as a British visitant. Mr. Marsham was an acute and accurate observer of Nature, and the author of some interesting papers on trees in the Philosophical Transactions.
J. H. Gurney, jun. (1875) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. X. p. 4695, says: 'With reference to the extremely interesting note in the Zoologist (s.s. 4664) as to the occurrence of a British specimen of the "Wallcreeper", allow me to add that Stratton Strawless Hall, where the bird was obtained, is situate in Norfolk, about seven miles north of Norwich. It was an ancient mansion, which subsequently to 1792 has been entirely rebuilt.'
Southwell, Editor (1879: 55-56, 2nd ed.) in Lubbock's Fauna of Norfolk, says: 'That a bird of this species was killed at Stratton Strawless in October, 1792, there can be no doubt from the circumstantial account given by Robert Marsham, F.R.S., in one of his letters to Gilbert White. Marsham sent to White a very beautifully executed drawing of two feathers from the wing of this bird, which drawing is still carefully preserved, and was lent by Professor Bell to Professor Newton, who edited the White-Marsham correspondence published by the Naturalists' Society, and is by him described as accurately representing two of the primary quill-feathers "from the left wing of a female or young male, leaving no doubt as to the correctness of the determination of the specimen by Marsham and White".'
Southwell, Editor (1890 (3): 380-382) in Stevenson's Birds of Norfolk, says: 'The record of the occurrence of this species in the county of Norfolk is not a little singular. In the year 1875 Mr. H. P. Marsham, of Rippon Hall, near Norwich, was good enough to place in my hands, as secretary of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, a series of letters written to his great grandfather, Robert Marsham, F.R.S., of Stratton, by Gilbert White, and to this correspondence we owe the knowledge of the fact that on the 30th October, 1792, a Wallcreeper was shot at Stratton Strawless, near Mr. Marsham's house.
The corresponding letters from Marsham to White were in the possession of the late Professor Bell, and by a mutual exchange the complete series was published both in the Trans. of the Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Soc. (II. pp. 133-195) and in Professor Bell's edition of the Natural History of Selborne.
The first mention of the bird occurs in a letter from Marsham to White, dated October 30, 1792, in which he says, "My man has just now shot me a bird, which was flying about my house; I am confident I have never seen its likeness before. But on application to Mr. Willughby, I conclude it is a Wall Creeper or spider catcher. I find he had not seen it in England".
White was much interested by the information, and sent him a translation of Scopoli's description of the bird which induced Marsham to send in return a coloured drawing of two quill-feathers, of which he says, "A young lady drew them for me, and they appear to me to be very exact copies and charmingly executed".
Professor Bell was kind enough to lend this drawing to Professor Newton, who found it to represent probably the fifth and seventh primaries of the wing of a female or young male of Tichodroma muraria, "leaving no doubt", as he remarks in a foot-note to the published letters, "as to the correctness of the determination of the specimen by Marsham and White".
In his reply White remarks, "You will have the satisfaction of introducing a new bird of which future ornithologists will say" - "found at Stratton, in Norfolk, by that painful and accurate Naturalist, Robert Marsham, Esq.".
I may be excused for adding the concluding remarks with regard to the coloured sketch sent him, which will be found reproduced on plate v., as they are so characteristic of this estimable man, and were written only five months before his death: "I am much delighted with the exact copies [of the two quills] sent me in the frank, and so charmingly executed by the fair unknown, whose soft hand has directed her pencil in a most elegant manner, and given the specimens a truly delicate and feathery appearance. Had she condescended to have drawn the whole bird, I should have been doubly gratified! It is natural to young ladies to wish to captivate men; but she will smile to find her present conquest is a very old man".
To which Marsham replies, "I am glad you liked the drawing of the two feathers; I hinted my wish for the whole bird; but she lent a deaf ear: and in that manner, all young Women have treated me (when I ask favours) since I was turned of 40".'
Admitted nationally in their second List of British Birds (BOU 1915).
2). 1872 Lancashire & North Merseyside Sabden, shot, 8th May, now at Mansfield Museum.
(F. S. Mitchell, Zoologist 1876: 4839-40, 4879: Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 16: 44; Smart, 1886; Saunders, 1892; F. C. R. Jourdain, British Birds 26: 313; Oakes, 1953).
History F. S. Mitchell of Clitheroe (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. pp. 4839-40, dated 12th February 1876, says: 'On the 8th of May, 1872, a fine specimen of this continental species was shot at Sabden, a village a few miles from here, at the foot of the Pendle Hill, and as I am not aware of its ever having been noticed before in this country, I send below the particulars. It was seen flying about by itself - its bright colours drawing the attention of a lot of mill-hands - did not appear to have a mate, and was at length shot by a man named Edward Laycock, who took it Mr. W. Naylor of Whalley, an accomplished naturalist, and who has for many years been President of the Accrington Naturalists' Society.
Large slugs had been used to kill it, and it was so mangled that Mr. Naylor could not determine the sex, and had great difficulty in making it at all presentable; however, it was managed somehow, and remains in his possession still....
The following are its dimensions, &c., as taken from the stuffed specimen: - Tip of bill to tip of tail, five inches and seven-eighths; wings, outstretched, tip to tip, eight inches; bill, seven-eighths of an inch; hind claw, thirteen-sixteenths of an inch; middle front claw, fifteen-sixteenths of an inch; tarsus, one inch and one-eighth. Top of head, back, and upper tail-coverts ash-coloured. Throat and breast grey, becoming much darker, almost black, on the belly, vent and under tail-coverts, which last are tipped with white. Tail-feathers black, ten in number: the two outer on each side white-tipped; the rest tipped with ashy-grey. Primaries underneath, a white band at the base, and a rhomboidal white spot three-eighths of an inch long towards the top on the inner webs. Secondaries underneath, a pale reddish band at the base on the outer webs, and about the centre of each feather a triangular pale red mark on inner webs. Primaries above have a rhomboidal white spot as underneath. A bright crimson bar, about one inch wide on the average, runs across primaries and secondaries having a triangular spot as underneath. Greater wing-coverts, a mixture of crimson and ash-colour, with black-tips. Lesser wing-coverts same colour, without the black tips. Bill slightly bent.'
[The reader is referred back to the Zoologist for 1874 (s. s. 4664) where the occurrence of a specimen of Tachidroma phoenicoptera at Stratton Hall is recorded by Mr. Bell. Are these the same bird? and has the Linnean specific name of muraria lasted long enough? It is very characteristic of the habits of this bird. - Edward Newman.]
F. S. Mitchell (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. p. 4879, adds a correction: 'In the March number of the Zoologist (s. s. 4839), for hind claw, thirteen-sixteenths of an inch read one inch and thirteen-sixteenths.'
Smart (1886: 26) says: 'Mr. Seebohm appears to have established its claim to enrolment on the undoubted authenticity of the Lancashire specimen; of which there is a coloured engraving in Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire, published 1885.'
Howard Saunders (1892: 60-61, 2nd ed.) in the revised edition of Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire, says: 'The only example of this continental species which has occurred in Britain since the first record, in 1792, was shot at Sabden, a village at the foot of Pendle Hill, on May 8th, 1872 (Zool., s.s. p. 4839). It was seen flying about by itself, its crimson-banded wings drawing the attention of a lot of mill-hands, and was at length shot by a man named Edward Laycock, who took it Mr. W. Naylor of Whalley. Large slugs had been used to kill it, and it was so mangled that Mr. Naylor could not determine the sex, and had great difficulty in making it at all presentable. The specimen came into my possession.'
[The above now forms part of the collection of Mr. J. Whitaker, of Rainworth Lodge, Nottinghamshire.... - Ed.]
F. C. R. Jourdain (1933) in British Birds, Vol. XXVI. p. 313, under 'The Whitaker Collection', says: 'In the collection there are also a number of rare British birds which have historical interest. Among them are the first British specimen of the Wall Creeper (Tichodroma muraria), shot at Sabden, Lancashire, on May 8th, 1872....it is satisfactory to know that the Marshall Collection is now permanently housed in the Taunton Museum and the Whitaker Collection at Mansfield.'
Comment It now resides [1990s] in the Mansfield Museum with the rest of the Whitaker Collection.
3). c. 1886 Sussex Grey Friars Chapel, Winchelsea, shot, late spring.
(W. R. Butterfield, Zoologist 1896: 302-303; W. R. Butterfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 3: 76; Walpole-Bond, 1938; Shrubb, 1979).
History W. Ruskin Butterfield of St Leonards-on-Sea (1896) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XX. pp. 302-303, says: 'Mr. William Mitchell of 'The Look-out', Winchelsea, invited me, while on a visit to that town on July 31st, to inspect a bird in his possession, "the like of which he had never seen before".
His description of the bird's appearance as it climbed about a ruin, and of the crimson and white on its wings, rendered identification almost certain even before seeing the specimen, and on reaching the house I at once saw that the "strange bird" was an example in breeding plumage of the Wall Creeper, Tichodroma muraria (Linn.).
His attention was called to it by some men who had noticed its bright colours, and he shot it near the ruin of the Grey Friar's Chapel, on the property of Major Stileman.
A plate of this picturesque ruin, with the adjoining house of its owner, may be seen in the late W. W. Cooper's History of Winchelsea, facing page 149. The lower picture shows the lawn over which the bird was flying when shot just after it had left the ruin to the right. It was set up by Gasson of Rye. It is unfortunate that no note was made of the date of the occurrence, but Mr. Mitchell feels sure it was in late spring about ten years ago, i.e. about 1886.
This is the third recorded occurrence of the Wall Creeper in Britain, and is an addition to the Sussex avifauna. The specimen is now in my possession, and it will be exhibited at a meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club.'
W. Ruskin Butterfield (1918) in the Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. III. p. 76, says: 'Miss Tristram, of Durham, has recently presented to the Hastings Museum the Wall Creeper shot at Winchelsea about 1886 (cf. Saunders, British Birds, 2nd ed. p. 119).
It was given by me to the late Canon H. B. Tristram, and Miss Tristram desired that it should find a permanent resting place at Hastings.'
Accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938).
Comment Butterfield was heavily involved with most of the "Hastings Rarities" fraud. A classic fraud record with no accurate date! Greyfriars Chapel, Winchelsea, now a ruin, was moved to this site in 1285, with the country house being built in 1819 by Richard Stileman (Wikipedia). William Mitchell appears to be a Constable and is mentioned in the Sussex courts from 1851-65 at least. Bearing in mind that father and son sometimes had the same name.
4). 1901 Somerset Mells, seen, September.
(J. Wiglesworth, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society 64: xlvi; J. Wiglesworth, British Birds 12: 185; Somerset Ornithological Society, 1988).
History J. Wiglesworth (1918) in the Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological & Natural History Society, Vol. LXIV. p. xlvi, says: 'The most interesting record to hand this year, which although it dates back as far as 1901, has never hitherto been made public, is that of the Wall Creeper (Tichodroma muraria), a specimen of which was seen by Dr. Helps on the wall of his garden at Mells, in September of that year.
This straggler from the Alpine regions of Europe is a very rare visitor to the British Isles, only about half-a-dozen instances of its occurrence having been reported altogether, and it has never before been recorded from this county.'
Wiglesworth (1919) in British Birds, Vol. XII. p. 185, says: 'In September 1901 a Wall-Creeper (Tichodroma muraria) was seen by Dr. Helps on the wall of his garden at Mells, East Somerset. Dr. Helps had an excellent view of it, and had it under observation for a sufficiently long time to make quite sure of its identity. He particularly noticed the crimson wing-coverts, and that the tail was tipped with white, so that there could have been no possible mistake as to the species.
Although this occurrence dates back for so many years, no report of it has hitherto been published. This is the only known instance of this rare straggler having visited Somerset.'
5). 1920 Dorset Chilfrome, near Dorchester, seen, 24th April.
(F. L. Blathwayt, British Birds 14: 40; F. L. Blathwayt, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History Society and Antiquarian Field Club 41: 101; Witherby, 1920-24; F. L. Blathwayt, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Society 55: 173; F. L. Blathwayt, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Society 61: 142; Boys, 1973; Prendergast & Boys, 1983).
History F. L. Blathwayt (1920) in British Birds, Vol. XIV. p. 40, says: 'A Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) was seen by Mr. E. P. Gundry, on April 24th, 1920, at Chilfrome, eight miles N.W. of Dorchester. It was remarkably tame, and the observer, who is familiar with our wild birds, got within six feet of it, as it was climbing round an old elm tree, and especially noticed the crimson shoulders and slightly curved long bill.
He at once identified the species by referring to Thorburn's British Birds, and it is safe to say that at such close range there could have been no mistake. It eventually flew away with another bird, which seemed to come from the other side of the tree and was apparently of the same species.
In September 1901 an example was seen some thirty-two miles farther north, in Somerset (British Birds, XII. p. 185), and as the species has straggled to N. France and Alderney, I venture to suggest that the Dorset and Somerset examples had arrived by the Channel Islands and Portland route. This is the first record for Dorset.'
F. L. Blathwayt (1921) in the Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History Society and Antiquarian Field Club, Vol. XLI. p. 101, in the 1920 Report, says: 'Wallcreeper. Two seen [sic], one at very close range, on April 24th, at Chilfrome, by Mr. E. P. Gundry. Recorded by F. L. Blathwayt in British Birds, Vol. XIV. p. 40. The first record of the occurrence of this bird in Dorset.'
Still admitted by F. L. Blathwayt (1934) in the Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Society, Vol. LV. p. 173, under 'A Revised List of the Birds of Dorset'.
Still admitted by F. L. Blathwayt (1940) in the Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Society, Vol. LXI. p. 142, under 'A Revised List of the Birds of Dorset'.
6). 1938 Sussex Rottingdean, seen, early June.
(J. B. Nicholl, British Birds 32: 272-273; Shrubb, 1979).
History Joan B. Nicholl (1939) in British Birds, Vol. XXXII. pp. 272-273, says: 'My sister and I were walking along the undercliff at Rottingdean just after the three days' gale at the beginning of June, 1938 (? 4th), when our attention was attracted by a brightly coloured bird that was flying at some distance ahead of us along the cliff.
As it struck us as being so unusual, we followed it, and watched it for some minutes, during which time it ran up and down the face of the cliff and flew along, always keeping about 12 to 15 feet ahead of us. My sister remarked to me that in flight it had the appearance of a red admiral butterfly.
The bird was similar in shape to a Nuthatch, but an inch or two larger, with a longish fine bill with a slight curve. It had a plain brownish-grey back and head and brilliant scarlet markings on the wings.
A few days later, happening to meet Dr. N. H. Joy, we described the bird we had seen to him and he considered it to be undoubtedly a Wall-Creeper (Tichodroma muraria). We had neither of us heard of a Wall-Creeper before, but have often watched Nuthatches and Woodpeckers, and when on the following day Dr. Joy showed us an uncoloured illustration of a Wall-Creeper there was no doubt from the shape of the bird and our description of the colouring that that was the species we had seen.'
NOT PROVEN
0). 1905 Sussex Near Ecclesbourne, male, 16th December.
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 16: 44-45; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 1: 17-18; H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst, British Birds 1: 110; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1906) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XVI. pp. 44-45, at the 120th Meeting of the Club held on 17th January 1906 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Mr. Ruskin Butterfield exhibited a specimen of the Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) which had been shot while climbing about the face of the cliff at Ecclesbourne, near Hastings, on the 26th December, 1905.
The bird - a female - was taken to Mr. G. Bristow, of St. Leonards, and was shown by him to Mr. Butterfield before it was skinned. Three previous occurrences of this bird in England had been made known, namely: (1) An example shot at Stratton Strawless, Norfolk, 30th October, 1792 [cf. Marsham & White, Trans. Norf. and Norw. Nat. Soc. II. pp. 180, 184, 188 (1876)]; (2) an example obtained at Sabden, Lancashire, 8th May, 1872 (cf. F. S. Mitchell, Zool., s.s. p. 4839); (3) an example, now in the collection of Canon H. B. Tristram, shot at Winchelsea, Sussex [cf. Sharpe, Bull. B.O.C., VI. no. xxxviii, p. 8 (1896)]. Professor Newton (Dict. B., p. 986, footnote) had called attention to the fact that Merrett had included the species in his list of British birds in 1667, the passage being as follows: - "Picus murarius, the Creeper, or Wall-creeper, I. ib. Ald. I. 852. G. 644". Pinax Rerum Naturalium Britanicarum, 1667, p. 177).'
E. N. Bloomfield (1906) in the Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. I. pp. 17-18, says: 'I am indebted to Messrs. N. F. Ticehurst and W. Ruskin Butterfield for the following notices of rare birds which have occurred in our own and in neighbouring districts. In the Hastings district - Tichodroma muraria, L., Wall Creeper, climbing about the cliff at Ecclesbourne, December 26th, 1905, second Sussex specimen (the first was from Winchelsea, and is mentioned in our Report for 1897).'
Admitted by H. F. Witherby & N. F. Ticehurst (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 110, under 'On the More Important Additions to our Knowledge of British Birds since 1899', and accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938 (1): 282).
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1912 Sussex Camber Castle, female, shot, 1st November, now at the Booth Museum, Brighton.
(H. W. Ford-Lindsay, British Birds 6: 218; W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 34: 272; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 2: 43; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History H. W. Ford-Lindsay (1912) in British Birds, Vol. VI. p. 218, says: 'An example of the Wall-Creeper (Tichodroma muraria) was obtained at Camber Castle, Sussex, on November 1st, 1912. I examined it in the flesh, when it proved to be a male. Unfortunately it was rather knocked about, having been killed at close range within the ruins, and with large shot.'
W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1914) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXXIV. p. 272, on the unexpected occurrences for 1912, says: 'One shot, Winchelsea (Sussex), October 1st.'
Accepted locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (1): 282-283) who adds: '...now in the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton, from the Nichols collection.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1915 Sussex Near Ecclesbourne, female, shot, 28th December, now at the Booth Museum, Brighton.
(J. B. Nichols, British Birds 12: 67; Eds., Field 17th Aug., 1918: 164; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History J. B. Nichols (1918) in British Birds, Vol. XII. p. 67, says: 'A female Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) was shot on some rocks near Ecclesbourne, Sussex, on December 28th, 1915. It was examined in the flesh by Mr. H. W. Ford-Lindsay, and is now in my collection. This is the sixth recorded specimen from England, and the fourth from Sussex.'
In an Editorial (1918) in The Field of 17th Aug., Vol. CXXXII. p. 164, they say: 'In the August number of British Birds Mr. J. B. Nichols states that a Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) was shot on some rocks near Ecclesbourne, Sussex, on Dec. 28, 1915, that it was examined in the flesh by Mr. Ford Lindsay, and that it is now in his own possession.
We happen to remember that in The Field of Feb. 10, 1906, we noticed a bird of this species which had been then recently exhibited at a meeting of the Brit. Orn. Club by Mr. Ruskin Butterfield, who stated that it was shot while climbing about the face of the cliff at Ecclesbourne, near Hastings, on Dec. 26, 1905.
If these two reports do not relate to the same specimen it is very remarkable that two examples of so rare a species should have been met with at an interval of ten years, in the same county, on the same cliff, and in the same month of the year, Dec. 26 and Dec. 28. Some explanation seems desirable.'
Accepted locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (1): 282-283) who adds: '...now in the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton, from the Nichols collection.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1937 Northumberland Catcleugh, seen, 15th April.
(R. Craigs, History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club 29: 325).
[BOU, 1971].
History R. Craigs of Catcleugh (1935-37) in the History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, Vol. XXIX. p. 325, under 'Ornithological Notes', says: 'It might be of interest to you to know that on 15th April I observed a Wall-creeper on my back kitchen wall. There are only five records of the occurrence of the Wall-creeper in England (Adam White).'
Comment Not admitted by the BOU (1971). Not acceptable.
0). 1954 Yorkshire Ewden Valley, 27th November.
(R. Chislett, Naturalist 80: 86).
[R. Chislett, Naturalist 80: 86].
History R. Chislett (1955) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. LXXX. p. 86, recording the record in square brackets, says: 'Alfred Hazelwood informed me that a strange bird with red wings, seen by a gamekeeper named J. P. Dearnley on November 27th, 1954, was claimed as of this species. J. C. S. Ellis made the journey to investigate.
The site was rocky ground, with old trees and young birches, at the head of the Ewden Valley.
The bird was described as having a greyish-blue crown and mantle, with a darker tail, and red wings which it continually 'scissored' (flicked). The underparts were paler, and the bill long and slightly curved. It ran both up and down trees; and on short flights appeared rather "moth like".
J.C.S.E. found the keeper more impressed by the bird's breadth (in flight), and by the crimson wings than by anything else. He had found the Wall-Creeper illustration in a book at a library.
Winds had been westerly and strong for some days, with a S-W gale on the 27th. The bird was not seen again but I feel the identification is very probably correct. Square brackets are used in the absence of confirmation.'
