
07.09.2025 Juvenile Osprey over Noirmont this morning. Image: MD
A mainly dry but cloudy day, in a strong southerly wind.
There were some quality migrants on offer today around the Island. At Noirmont, among eight species of raptor seen there were an Osprey, a Honey Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Hobby, 2 Sparrowhawks, 4 Common Buzzards, an early morning Barn Owl and 2 Kestrels. An arrival of Whinchat totalled at least 28 birds and with them was an Ortolan Bunting. Also seen were 22 Swifts, 278 Swallows, 27 Sand Martins, 22 House Martins, 100 Yellow Wagtails, 3 White Wagtails, 3 Tree Pipits, 6 Wheatears, 2 Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler, 2 Stonechats, 202 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 21 Black-headed Gulls, 10+ Ravens, 2 Choughs and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Offshore were 30 Sandwich Terns, a Mediterranean Gull and 13 Gannets. 5 Whinchats were at Beauport too.
At Les Landes were a Tawny Pipit - a real rarity on the Island in recent years, a Wryneck, a Hobby, 7 Whinchats, 8 Wheatears, a Whitethroat, 5 White Wagtails, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 14 Stonechats and 75 Meadow Pipits.
In St Ouen's Bay, on Les Blanches Banques were 3 Swifts, a Wryneck and 10 Wheatears and at Le Braye were 5 Sandwich Terns, 6 Ringed Plovers and a Sanderling. Roosting at Petit Port were 48 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Common Sandpipers, a Redshank and a Willow Warbler.
A second Osprey was seen at Greve de Lecq late morning and another Swift was over La Rocque. A second Honey Buzzard flew over Sandybrook around lunchtime.
On the East side of the Island, 12 Grey Herons and a Cattle Egret were at La Sente and 4 Cattle Egrets were by Holmegrown.
Late afternoon and evening update: at the Scrape was a ring-tailed Hen Harrier and in St Ouen's Bay were 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 87 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 58 Great Black-backed Gulls, 30 Mediterranean Gulls, 28 Sandwich Terns and 35 Ringed Plovers.
At Gorselands were 3 Wheatears, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a Stonechat and 25 Swallows and at the Gunsite in St Aubin's Bay were 3 Curlews and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits.
In Grouville Marsh were 17 Cattle Egrets and at La Rocque was a Kingfisher. Maize fields near Trinity Manor held a roost of 75 Swallows and at the Farmer's Cricket Ground in St Martin were 3 White Wagtails, a Willow Warbler and a Marsh Harrier.
Below: Two distant images of a juvenile Honey Buzzard against a white sky at Noirmont today. Image: MD










