10.10.2025 Yesterday's "mega" is now confirmed as a first winter Bay-breasted Warbler, a first record for the Channel Islands.
Thanks go to David Buxton who first found it and ringed it at Ouaisne, also providing this image of it in the hand. DB
A grey day today, under the anticyclone, feeling cold in a light northeast wind (15c)
At Ouaisne early on today, the Bay-breasted Warbler was seen and heard at the same location in trees at the back of the common. Also present there were 35 Chiffchaffs, 5 Blackcaps, 4 Firecrests, 2 Goldcrests, 16 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Siskins, a Bullfinch, 5 Song Thrushes, a Grey Wagtail, an alba Wagtail, 10 Robins, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and flying over, a Curlew and 2 Ravens.
Seen at a very grey Noirmont were a Brambling, 16 Chaffinches, 24 Linnets, 21 Goldfinches, 108 Meadow Pipits, 8 alba Wagtails, 2 Swallows, 7 Song Thrushes, 3 Blackbirds, 4 Stonechats, a Dartford Warbler, a passing Brent Goose, a Cormorant, a Sparrowhawk, a Marsh Harrier, a Grey Heron and a Red Admiral.
A Great White Egret was standing in a field near Grouville Church this morning, 47 Cattle Egrets were opposite Holme Grown in Grouville and a further 7 Cattle Egrets were at Mont a l'Abbe. In St Aubin's Bay were 320 Brent Geese, 2 Grey Herons and 15 Linnets and at beaumont Marsh were 7 Meadow Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 3 alba Wagtails, 2 Firecrests, a Goldcrest and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
In Grouville Bay were 18 Turnstones, 110 Black-headed Gulls were at Seymour, 8 alba Wagtails were at Le Hurel, and 4 Ravens plus 2 Chiffchaffs were at La Sente. Near La Rocque, 16 Grey Plovers and 50 Oystercatchers were in Robin Bay while at La Lourderie were 15 Grey Herons, 3 Swallows and a Marsh Harrier.
In St Ouen's Bay, 43 Ringed Plovers were at Sands, 12 Little Egrets, a Grey Heron, 150 Oystercatchers and 43 Cormorants were at Le Pulec and on Mont Matthieu were 25+ Swallows, a Chough, a Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard.
A garden in Vallee des Vaux this afternoon held 25 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps, 3 Firecrests, 2 Goldcrests and 14 Long-tailed Tits, with a Marsh Harrier flying over too.
Evening update: In the Sandpits this evening were 73 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, and 12 Little Grebes and at Kempt Tower was a Wheatear. Another Wheatear was seen in Grouville Bay.
Below: Thanks go to all who assisted in confirming the identification of the Bay-breasted Warbler, which is seen here in a screen grab of a video of it's release by David. Image: MD
03.06.2026 A proud female Shoveler with her brood, on the Scrape today MD Another disturbed day, with periods of rain and strong southwest winds, feeling cold at a maximum 18c Despite the conditions, the Savi's Warbler was in song again this morning on the north side of St Ouen's Pond, where a Whitethroat , a singing Skylark , and 3 Stonechats were also present. On St Ouen's Pond were the 2 Black-winged Stilts , 3 male Shovelers , 14 Tufted Ducks , a Little Grebe , and feeding in the unpleasant conditions were 15 Swifts , 10 House Martins , 10 Sand Martins and 20 Swallows . At and around the Scrape were one of the Black-winged Stilts feeding, 4 Shelducks , a family of Shovelers which included 8 chicks, 5 juvenile Lapwings , two of which were fledged plus 4 adult Lapwings paying close attention them, 2 Oystercatchers , but with no sign of their two chicks, a Grey Heron and another singing Skylark . Corbiere was much less busy than in recent days and in two hours, 30 Manx Shearwaters , 21 Balearic Shearwaters . 7 Guillemots , 14 Gannets , a Fulmar and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew by. A pair of Shelduck was in Petit Port Bay, also 65 Oystercatchers .
02.06.2026 A recent image of Shearwaters rafting off of Corbiere, with thanks to John Ovenden for the image JO A disturbed day with heavy overnight rain replaced by overcast conditions in an increasing west-southwest wind reaching a Force 5 this afternoon. On a positive note, little had changed at St Ouen's Pond today, meaning that the Savi's Warbler was still singing on the north side of the Pond and the pair of Black-winged Stilt were still present on the Pond itself. Also seen around the area were 2 Oystercatchers , a Whitethroat , good numbers of Reed Warblers , 5 Swifts and a few House Martins , Sand Martins and Swallows feeding there. At Le Pulec, Shelduck now have 4 young, always a risky business with a strong wind blowing. 3 Grey Seals were present there too. Passing a windy Corbiere from first light were 210 Manx Shearwaters, 104 Balearic Shearwaters , 15 Guillemots , 45 Gannets , 8 Fulmars , 4 Cormorants , 24 Shags , 2 Shelducks , a Summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull , 4 Sandwich Terns , 3 Kittiwakes , 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 21 Great Black-backed Gulls . One Shelduck was visible in Petit Port Bay.
01.06.2026 Black-winged Stilt in hot pursuit of a passing Marsh Harrier at the Pond. Thanks go to Romano for the image RDC A fair to cloudy day with winds now firmly back in the southwest. The interest level remains high at St Ouen's Pond, with the 2 Black-winged Stilts still present and yesterday's Savi's Warbler singing again in the reeds on the north side of the Pond. Also on the Pond, Lapwings have two young juveniles, with 3 male Shovelers , 7 Tufted Ducks , 2 Oystercatchers , 6 Swifts , 4 House Martins , 5 Swallows , 3 Stonechats and a passing Peregrine also seen. A Skylark was singing to the North of the Pond where a Whitethroat and a male Stonechat were also present. A Dartford Warbler was seen on the walk alongside the Airport. Another 2 Swifts were flying over Plemont. A visit to Les Ecrehous saw 3 Manx Shearwaters , a Gannet and 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins en route, while on the reef were a Grey Plover, 7 Turnstones , 4 Whimbrels , a Little Egret , 3 Sandwich Terns , numerous Common Terns and 2 Rock Pipits . This morning's counts from Corbiere included 351 Manx Shearwaters , 50 Balearic Shearwaters , 34 Guillemots , a Razorbill , 10 Fulmars , 40 Gannets , 7 Common Scoters , 3 Kittiwakes , 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 39 Great Black-backed Gulls and 2 Swallows . 4 Shelduck were in Petit Port Bay again. Below : Thanks again to Romano for this record shot of the Savi's Warbler at St Ouen's Pond. RDC
31.05.2026 It was a good day for shearwater movement along the south coast, with 460 seen from Corbiere in four hours this morning Thanks go to John Ovenden for this nice image of Manx and a Balearic Shearwater passing through St Ouen's Bay. JO A poor start to the day with overcast conditions and a little light rain in a westerly wind, becoming fine this afternoon. At St Ouen's Pond this morning were 2 Black-winged Stilts again, a Lapwing with 2 young juveniles, a Grey Heron , 12 Tufted Duck and 3 Shoveler , while in the reedbed on the north side of the Pond was a singing, but not visible, Savi's Warbler and in the willows there, a flock of c15 Long-tailed Tits - mainly young birds. Feeding overhead were 4 Swifts , 4 House Martins and a few Swallows and Sand Martins . On the Scrape was another family of 4 Lapwings and a family of 4 Oystercatchers . One of the Black-winged Stilts also paid a brief visit there. Seawatching from Corbiere was steady this morning with counts of 345 Manx Shearwaters, 118 Balearic Shearwaters , 10 Fulmars , 36 Gannets , 7 Guillemots , 2 Sandwich Terns , 2 Kittiwakes and a Shelduck . Reed Warblers were in song at Grands Vaux reservoir, while at Grouville Marsh Cetti's Warblers were feeding newly fledged young. A late record just to hand is of 2 Storm Petrels , seen from a boat in St Ouen's Bay on the 23rd May.
30.05.2026 An adult Lapwing over the Scrape today. Image: MD A cloudy and cool morning with a brighter afternoon in a northerly wind. At St Ouen's Pond, the 2 Black-winged Stilts were still present and very active. Lapwings have also been active in chasing off all comers for sometime, and the reason became apparent today with 2 half-sized juveniles appearing on the edge of the Pond, adding to the family at the Scrape which now have 3 juveniles showing. None are yet fledged though, so fingers are still firmly crossed. The Oystercatcher pair near the Scrape have also produced 2 chicks today. Also on the Pond were a pair of Shelduck , 2 male Shovelers , 4 Tufted Ducks , a Grey Heron and overhead, 4 Swifts . Skylarks were in song to the north of the Pond. Counts continue at Corbiere and today between sunrise and 9 am, recorded 148 Manx Shearwaters, 75 Balearic Shearwaters , 7 Guillemots , 22 Gannets , 45 Fulmars , 23 Shags , 2 Cormorants , 7 Mediterranean Gulls , 5 Kittiwakes , 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 38 Great Black-backed Gulls , a Peregrine and a flock of 5 waders at great distance in the haze. 2 pairs of Shelducks were present in Petit Port Bay. Below : One of the young Lapwings which are currently on the Scrape. MD
29.05.2026 . Male Tufted Duck on the South Canal, in a shower of rain yesterday. MD A much cooler day as the westerlies return. Cloudy with a moderate northwest wind. At St Ouen's Pond, two Black-winged Stilts are still present, but elusive at times. Also on the Pond today were 3 male Shovelers , 7 Tufted Ducks , a Grey Heron and overhead, 4 Swifts . On the Scrape were 5 Lapwings including the young juvenile bird, and a Shelduck . North of the Pond was a Skylark carrying food for young, with another Skylark near to the Watersplash. On St Ouen's Beach this afternoon were 62 Great Black-backed Gulls , 17 Lesser Black-backed gulls and 42 Herring Gulls . At Le Pulec were 173 Herring Gulls and a Shelduck, and near Faulkner's Fisheries at L'Etacq were a further 84 Herring Gulls , 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Little Egret . Shearwater numbers are increasing day on day at the moment, with counts of 156 Balearic Shearwaters and 25 Manx Shearwaters passing Corbiere in ninety minutes from Sunrise this morning. Also passing Corbiere were 12 Guillemots , 11 Fulmars , 30 Gannets , 2 Shelducks , 26 Shags , 3 Cormorants , 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 24 Great Black-backed Gulls , also a Peregrine . A Grey Seal was feeding east of the Lighthouse too. A pair of Shelduck was in Petit Port again. At the Desalination Plant at La Rosiere were a 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls nests, 12 Herring Gull nests, Whitethroat , a Dartford Warbler , 50+ Crows , 2 Choughs and 7 Jackdaws . At Plemont this morning were a Razorbill , a Marsh Harrier, 4 Swifts , 8 Linnets , a pair of Dartford Warblers feeding 2 young, a Greenfinch with young, a Little Egret and a juvenile Raven . In St Catherine's Woods were a family of 4 Moorhens , Mallards with 9 new young, 10 Long-tailed Tits , 3 Firecrests , 2 Short-toed Treecreepers , 2 singing Song Thrushes and good numbers of both Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs . At a small reedbed in meadows by Grouville Church were 6 pairs of Reed Warblers , a Cetti's Warbler and a Marsh Harrier .
28.05.2026 With only a couple of pairs of Lapwings present and the usual predation, hope was almost gone for any young birds surviving this year - until today when one appeared, fairly well grown, on the Scrape and being protected by all four adults! Fingers crossed. Image: today's single juvenile in two different poses MD A slightly different day from the recent, with morning showers keeping the temperature to a mere 30c in a light easterly wind. While things are quiet around the Island with breeding in full swing, seabird numbers are slowly improving with counts from Corbiere this morning including 87 Balearic Shearwaters, 76 Manx Shearwaters , 5 Fulmars , a Common Scoter , a Shelduck , 15 Gannets , 17 Guillemots , 32 Shags , 7 Cormorants , 4 Black-headed Gulls , a Mediterranean Gull, 5 Kittiwakes, 52 Great Black-backed Gulls and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, with 2 Ravens and 2 Swifts also seen. Off Plemont were 8 Razorbills , a Puffin carrying food, 7 Balearic Shearwaters and a Bottle-nosed Dolphin with a Raven , 2 Swifts and 8 Linnets also there. 2 Shelduck were at Petit Port. A Black-winged Stilt was seen briefly, dropping down onto St Ouen's Pond and on the Scrape at were 4 Lapwings guarding a juvenile bird, 4 Shelduck , 2 Oystercatchers , a Grey Heron , 5 Swifts and a Clouded Yellow butterfly. Also at the Pond were 14 Tufted Ducks , 2 Grey Herons , 25 Reed Warblers , 2 Stonechats , and at Sunset Nurseries were a singing Cetti's Warbler , 6 pairs of Reed Warblers including 2 pairs collecting food. At Pontac was a pair of Shelduck and on the Parade in St Helier were White Wagtails feeding 2 juveniles.
27.05.2026 Cormorants passing Corbiere MD Another blisteringly hot day, reaching at least 32c in a moderate easterly wind. Today's early seabird movement past Corbiere involved 34 Balearic Shearwaters , 58 Manx Shearwaters , 5 Fulmars , 22 Gannets , 5 Shelducks , 5 Cormorants , 2 Cattle Egrets , 22 Shags , a Mediterranean Gull , 4 Kittiwakes , 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , and also a Peregrine and a single Swift . 2 pairs of Shelducks were in Petit Port Bay early on. 7 Swifts were at St Aubin and a male Cirl Bunting was on Grouville Common. In the Sandpits at Le Braye were a female Gadwall , 4 Tufted Ducks , 2 Grey Herons , 2 Little Egrets , 20 Sand Martins, 2 Whitethroats , 3 Stonechats and a White Wagtail . A male Wigeon was standing on the roof of a nearby house! At Plemont were 2 Puffins , 5 Razorbills , 8 Swifts , 2 Dartford Warblers , 8 Fulmars , 2 Choughs and 5 Swallows . Yesterday , a White Wagtail was seen feeding a fledged juvenile at La Hougue Bie and another White Wagtail was collecting food in La Motte Street, St Helier.
26.05.2026 A male Marsh Harrier sheltering from the sun near Kempt Tower. MD Another day of record temperatures for May in Jersey, reaching close on 34c in a southeasterly wind. The seabirds were moving early today and all had gone quiet at Corbiere by 08:00. Before that happened, 23 Balearic Shearwaters , 38 Manx Shearwaters , 2 Common Scoters , 2 Guillemots , 9 Gannets , 3 Cormorants , 4 Kittiwakes , 41 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull had passed by, also 2 Swifts . Butterflies are around in exceptional numbers, particularly Painted Ladies , with a probable Large Tortoiseshel l also flying by. Seen from the Scrape Hide this morning were 2 pairs of Shelducks , 2 Tufted Ducks , 4 Lapwings , 2 Oystercatchers , 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 6 Swifts . At Kempt Tower were the family of 6 Coot , a Little Grebe and a Whitethroat . In the Sandpits were 11 Tufted Ducks , 39 Coot and 10 Great Black-backed Gulls and at Le Pulec were a Little Egret , 3 pairs of Oystercatchers and 5 Rock Pipits . In the Plemont area were 5 Swifts , 2 Dartford Warblers , 18 Linnets , 2 Stock Doves , 4 Jackdaws , a juvenile Goldfinch and 4 Swallows collecting mud. Elsewhere, a Garden Warbler was on La Rue du Moulin des Bas and another Garden Warbler was on Route d'Ebenezer. 4 Swifts were at St Aubin.
25.05.2026 A young Starling taking a cool bath at the Scrape today MD The heatwave continued today with clear skies, an easterly breeze and a record May temperature for the Island of 32c ! Early seabird movement past Corbiere this morning included the first 2 Balearic Shearwaters seen from shore this year, 62 Manx Shearwaters , a Fulmar , 3 Guillemots , 3 Shelducks , 20 Gannets , 2 Cormorants , 4 Mediterranean Gulls , 3 Kittiwakes , 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 53 Great Black-backed Gulls , also 2 Swifts and 2 Swallows . At St Ouen's Pond were a Shoveler , a Grey Heron , 3 Tufted Ducks , a pair of Stonechat , the usual Reed Warblers and Cetti's Warbler plus a Clouded Yellow butterfly and 20 Painted Ladies which have been in very good supply on the Island for the last few days. At the Scrape, there was no sign of yesterday's Black-winged Stilts , but seen there were 4 Redshanks , the Barnacle Goose and Pink-footed Goose , 2 Tufted Ducks , 4 Lapwings , 2 Oystercatchers and 3 Shelducks , one of which was an intruding female which was rapidly escorted from the scene by the male. At the back of the Blanches Banques in St Ouen's Bay yesterday were 2 pairs of Stonechats and 2 pairs of Dartford Warblers and at Kempt Tower this morning were 3 singing Whitethroats . Evening update : 2 Black-winged Stilts reappeared on the Scrape, around 6pm, having been missing all day until then. 5 Cirl Buntings were counted on Grouville Common.
