04.04.2025 A male Dartford Warbler at La Rosiere today. MD
Overnight rain had cleared before Dawn this morning, leaving a fair day with high cloud, and feeling warmer at 18c in a moderate northeast wind.
Pick of the day was an adult Purple Heron seen in the Grouville Marsh area, with 2 Green Sandpipers and 4 Water Rails also seen there. At a dry La Sente, which was being ploughed today, were 52 Cattle Egrets, 11 Little Egrets, 10 Brent Geese, 2 Shelduck, a Curlew and 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls. On Grouville Common were a Redwing, 5 Greenfinches and 8 Linnets and 3 House Martins had returned to their breeding area of Causie Lane in St Clement. In Grouville Bay and La Rocque were a Great Crested Grebe, 2 Black-headed Gulls and 380 Brent Geese. On Rue de Pont were 4 Skylarks, 15 Meadow Pipits, 90 Linnets, and 8 Brent Geese. In La Rue de Marais a la Cocque was a family of Coot including 4 newly hatched young.
A mixed bag of birds seen at or passing Corbiere this morning included a steady passage of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, totalling 342 in three hours, 24 Sandwich Terns, 5 Kittiwakes, a Black-headed Gull, a Red-throated Diver, 11 Common Scoters, a male Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Razorbills, 5 Guillemots, 3 Fulmars, 42 Gannets, a flock of 8 Cormorants in breeding plumage, a migrant Kestrel, a Peregrine, a Black Redstart, 2 Wheatears, 7 Swallows, 5 Sand Martins, 26 Meadow Pipits, 9 alba Wagtails, a Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler. On the headland, at La Rosiere were a Short-eared Owl, a Black Redstart, a singing Dartford Warbler, a Grey Heron, 8 Swallows, a House Martin, 4 Sand Martins, 2 Choughs, 2 Jackdaws, 2 Ravens and 6 Linnets. In Petit Port Bay on the high tide were 32 Turnstones, a Purple Sandpiper, 4 Curlews, 85 Oystercatchers, 4 Brent Geese and a pair of Shelduck. A further visit to La Rosiere this afternoon saw 32 Swallows, 10 Sand Martins and 3 Chiffchaffs.
On St Ouen's Pond were a Shoveler, the Pink-footed Goose and Barnacle Goose, while on the Scrape were 24 Teal, a Redshank, 3 Lapwings, and a singing Cetti's Warbler. At Beaumont were 2 Shovelers and a Grey Heron and in Samares Manor grounds were a Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap. In the Sandpits were 2 pairs of Stonechats and on Mont Pellier was a pair of Long-tailed Tits, nest building.
At the Farmers Cricket ground in St Martin were 2 White Wagtails and a Swallow and at La Piece Mauger in Trinity were 4 Redwings and 23 Cattle Egrets. A Black Redstart was at Rue du Catel in Trinity while at Grands Vaux were 2 Teal, 6 Tufted Ducks, and at Mont Pellier, a Willow Warbler.
Below: Lesser Black-backed Gulls arriving at Corbiere this morning. MD
