18.01.2025 A Great Northern Diver with it's favourite food, at La Rocque this morning MD
A cold (3c) day with overcast skies in a moderate east-northeast wind.
La Sente continues to be good value and around the water today were 50 Brent Geese, including 3 juveniles, 62 Redshanks, 5 Lapwings, 8 Grey Herons, 5 Cattle Egrets, 7 Little Egrets, 5 Snipe and a Raven while in the small field by La Sente Cottage were 4 Bullfinches, a Serin, 30 Chaffinches, 3 Goldfinches, a Reed Bunting, a Buzzard, 2 Song Thrushes and a Pheasant. At Le Petit Catillon were 2 Short-eared Owls.
Seen from La Rocque and Seymour over the morning high tide were 5 Great Northern Divers, 5 Black-necked Grebes, 3 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 14 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Common Scoters, 500+ Brent Geese, 140 Shags, a Grey Heron, 6 Little Egrets, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, and 100+ Black-headed Gulls. Among waders looking to roost there were 255 Grey Plovers, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 160 Sanderlings, 200+ Dunlin, 46 Curlews and 25 Turnstones. A male Black Redstart was in Robin Bay. and a Peregrine was hunting offshore.
Redwings were liberally scattered around the Island in small flocks which included 45 on Mont Matthieu, 30 in a sheep field at Les Marais, 12 at Gorselands and at Crabbe. Also at Crabbe were a male Hen Harrier, 450 Chaffinches, 300 Linnets, 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Ravens and a Kestrel.
On Mont Matthieu were 72 Skylarks, 6 Song Thrushes and 200 Chaffinches and a Dartford Warbler was seen at Grantez. At Le Pulec were 18 Rock Pipits, a female Black Redstart, a Grey Wagtail and 8 Little Egrets. Another 40 Skylarks and 30 Chaffinches were at Plemont.
Around Handois reservoir were 6 Tufted Duck, 40 Mallard, 6 Goldcrests, 2 Firecrests, a Short-toed Treecreeper and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.
At St Aubin were 19 pale-bellied Brent Geese, 34 Redshanks and 10 Turnstones.
