01.05.2025  A newly arrived Whinchat at Grosnez this morning.   MD


May was ushered in with another very warm day and just some high cloud. Winds were fresh from the east-southeast.


On the East of the Island today, a Black Kite was seen in flight over St Catherine and a Hoopoe was in a garden in Grouville. At Le Saie were 2 Turnstones and 45 Oystercatchers and in St Catherine's Wood were a Firecrest, a Goldcrest a Short-toed Treecreeper,  and 11 Blackcaps with an immature Grey Heron at the small reservoir and another 3 Grey Herons seen flying over.


An adult Purple Heron was on St Ouen's Pond, also a Snipe, 2 male Shovelers and a Sedge Warbler, while at the Scrape were a pair of Shelduck, a Greenshank, a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, a Snipe, 6 Lapwings and 2 Wheatears. 2 Oystercatchers were on Les Mielles Golf Course. In the Sandpits were 2 Shelduck, 18 Tufted Duck, a Marsh Harrier, a Little Grebe, 45 Sand Martins and a singing Cetti's Warbler.  At Le Pulec were yet another pair of Shelduck and in the Kempt Tower area were a male Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, a Little Grebe, 5+ Reed Warblers and a flock of 7 overflying Jackdaws.


It was a slow day for migrants at Grosnez and through the first half of the morning, 2 Whinchats, a Wheatear, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a White Wagtail, and 17 Swallows were seen, while offshore were 6 Manx Shearwaters, 15 Fulmars, 14 Gannets, 3 Cormorants, a Kittiwake, 5 Black-headed Gulls, 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 4 Grey Herons. Around the racecourse were 2 Stonechats, 50+ Meadow Pipits, 2 Ravens, 3 Choughs and 2 Marsh Harriers. One, possibly two Puffins were seen at Plemont, a small falcon, possibly a Hobby flew by, a Swallowtail butterfly was seen being hassled by a Red Admiral and c12 Bottle-nosed Dolphins headed west.


Around the south-west of the Island, visible migration watching at Noirmont saw 2 Swifts, 30 Swallows, a Sand Martin, 15 Tree Pipits, a Whitethroat,  a White Wagtail, 4 Whimbrels, 13 Grey Herons, 12 Black-headed Gulls and 22 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, while at Petit Port were a Turnstone, 5 Little Egrets and 2 Whimbrels, and at Corbiere were 5 Purple Sandpipers and 3 Turnstones. Another 2 Grey Herons were at St Aubin, a  Cetti's Warbler was heard in Clos Saut Falluet, near the Airport and a Swallowtail butterlfy was seen at Ouaisne.

by Michael Dryden 24 February 2026
24.02.2026 A male Marsh Harrier enjoying today's sun at St Ouen's Pond MD At last, a dry and even sunny day, feeling very mild (13c) in the clear skies. Winds were moderate from the south-southeast. Seen in two hours passing Corbiere, were a Common Scoter , 174 Razorbills , 36 Guillemots , 4 Fulmars , 16 Gannets , 8 Cormorants , 31 Shags , 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , a Mediterranean Gull , 30 Great Black-backed Gulls , 3 Kittiwakes and 9 Curlews , while in Petit Port Bay were 4 Brent Geese , 2 Purple Sandpipers , 57 Turnstones , 14 Grey Plovers , 140 Oystercatchers and 9 Mediterranean Gulls . At St Ouen's Pond were 35 Shoveler , 8 Pochard , 4 Tufted Duck , a Little Grebe , 3 Grey Herons , a single Lapwing , 6 Marsh Harriers and 2 Buzzards . In the backfields there, were 150 Brent Geese and 120 Stock Dove s. Around Kempt Tower and pools were the Snow Bunting, a singing Skylark , a Little Grebe , 4 Tufted Duck , a pair of Marsh Harrier , a flock of 22 Goldfinches and a Peacock butterfly . In Beaumont Marsh were 380 Brent Geese, a Curlew , 3 Little Egrets and 9 Pied Wagtails , while at St Aubin were 30 pale-bellied Brent Geese , one dark-bellied Brent, and 20 Redshanks . Another 8 pale-bellied Brent Geese were on the beach in St Brelade's Bay. At La sente were 2 Shelduck , 2 Shoveler , 10 Grey Herons , 12 Little Egrets , 41 Cattle Egrets , 19 Common Gulls , 55 Black-headed Gulls , 64 Redshanks and 6 Greenshanks . At La Ferme farm were 21 Redwings , 5 Song Thrushes , 56 Chaffinches , 2 Grey Wagtails , a Pied Wagtai l, a singing Firecrest , a singing Chiffchaff , a Jackdaw and a Raven . also another Peacock butterfly. In the cider orchard near Trinity Church were 7 Fieldfares , 2 Redwings , 5 Chiffchaffs , 2 Goldcrests and a Firecrest and on Rue du Moulin de Bas were 4 Redwings , a Fieldfare , 3 Chiffchaffs , a Goldcrest , a singing Firecrest and another Peacock butterfly. At Les Augerez in St Peter was a flock of 150 Starlings and in St Peter's Technical Park was a Grey Wagtail. Another singing Firecrest and 3 Blackcaps were in Vallee des Vaux. Extras for yesterday : a Dartford Warbler was at Archirondel and a Kingfisher was in Queen's Valley.
by Michael Dryden 23 February 2026
23.02.2026 A pair of pale-bellied Brent Geese at St Aubin this morning. MD A dry but cloudy to overcast day, mild at 13c in a southwest wind. Firstly, a significant record from a garden in Gorey, which a Common Rosefinch has been visiting for the last few days, this only the fifth record of the species for Jersey. St Aubin's Bay was popular today, with birds reported from there including 20 Great Crested Grebes, 77 Black-headed Gulls and 11 Great Black-backed Gulls, and around the St Aubin end of the bay, 19 pale-bellied Brent Geese, 15 Mediterranean Gulls, 30 Black-headed Gulls, 29 Redshanks and 6 Turnstones . In Beaumont Marsh were 370 Brent Geese , 190 Black-headed Gulls , 17 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 5 Little Egrets , 25 Pied Wagtails, a Grey Heron , a Curlew , 17 Jackdaws and 2 Buzzards . Near the ferry ramps at the Elizabeth Harbour was a female Black Redstart . In La Rocque Harbour first thing were 2 Great Northern Divers , 2 Black-necked Grebes , a Great Crested Grebe , 6 Red-breasted Mergansers , 55 Curlews and several hundreds of Sanderlings and Grey Plovers . Another 3 Red-breasted Mergansers were near Le Hurel Slip. At La Sente were 210 Brent Geese , 7 Greenshanks , 55 Redshanks , 41 Cattle Egrets, 6 Little Egrets, 21 Common Gulls , 255 Black-headed Gulls , a Mediterranean Gull , a Wigeon and 2 Shovelers . The Snow Bunting was still present near Kempt Tower today and on St Ouen's Pond were 189 Brent Geese , 21 Lapwings , 2 Little Grebes , 3 Grey Heron s, 3 Tufted Duck , 26 Shovelers and the usual Marsh Harriers . 31 Great Black-backed Gulls were in St Ouen's Bay. Buzzards were seen cleaning out a former nest near St John's Village and in Vallee des Vaux were 3 Siskins , 3 Blackcaps and a singing Firecrest .
by Michael Dryden 22 February 2026
22.02.2026 A great image of a Black-throated Diver at La Rocque courtesy of Romano RDC
by Michael Dryden 21 February 2026
21.02.2026 Lesser Black-backed Gulls are returning in numbers now, with 52 passing Grosnez this morning. Image: One in company with a Herring Gull today. MD
by Michael Dryden 20 February 2026
20.02.2026 Common Gulls are often anything but common in Jersey, but good numbers are around, mainly off the East coast, at the moment. This winter plumaged adult is seen here flying over Grouville Bay today. Image: MD
by Michael Dryden 19 February 2026
19.02.2026 One of many adult Gannets which are around the Island at the moment, this one seen here passing Grosnez MD
by Michael Dryden 18 February 2026
18.02.2026 One of the Great Northern Diver s currently scattered around the south-east corner, image courtesy of Romano RDC
by Michael Dryden 17 February 2026
17.02.2026 Goldcrest at Pont Marquet today. Image: MD
by Michael Dryden 16 February 2026
16.02.2026 A cute Fulmar passing Grosnez this morning. Image: MD
by Michael Dryden 15 February 2026
15.02.2026 Female Red-breasted Merganser at close quarters, La Rocque Harbour, with thanks to Romano for the image RDC
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