by Michael Dryden
•
13 June 2026
13.06.2026 A fine drake Tufted Duck on the Kempt Tower pools today. MD The day started with fog shrouding the west of the Island, but clearing before lunch time to a sunny afternoon in a moderate westerly wind. Reports were biased towards the East side of the Island, where visibility was far better and at La Rocque over the early full tide were 3 Sandwich Terns , a Balearic Shearwater , 7 Cormorants , a Curlew and 45 Oystercatchers . In Grouville Bay later in the day were the first 5 returning Black - headed Gulls , 3 Mediterranean Gulls , 11 Great Black-backed Gulls , 120 Oystercatchers , 4 Grey Herons arriving from the East, also 5 House Martins . On Grouville Common, 3 male Cirl Buntings were singing and seen from St Catherine's were a Manx Shearwater, a Fulmar , 5 Gannets , a Peregrine , 2 Little Egrets and 3 Swifts . In St Catherine's Woods were 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers , 2 Firecrests , a Bullfinch , 2 Linnet , a Moorhen with 2 young, and good numbers of Chiffchaffs and Blackaps . Overhead were a Buzzard and 4 Jackdaws . The 2 Black-winged Stilts were at St Ouen's Pond again, their stay now approaching three weeks, also 2 Barnacle Geese . At the Scrape were 8 Lapwings , 2 Oystercatchers , 4 adult Shovelers , a Tufted Duck , a Swift and 50 assorted hirundines . On the Kempt Tower pools were an adult and a juvenile Little Grebe , 4 Tufted Ducks with just one chick between them, 2 Whitethroats , and several Reed Warblers , 2 Cetti's Warblers and 5 Chiffchaffs . In the Orchid field was a family of Stonechats with fledged young. Off Le Pulec, 15 Balearic Shearwaters were with 50+ Herring Gulls at the feeding patch offshore. On Les Landes was a family of 5 Greenfinches . Evening update : At Les Ecrehous today were 120 Oystercatchers , 4 Curlews , 40 Turnstones , a Ringed Plover , 3 Sandwich Terns and numerous Common Terns . 8 Curlews were at La Rocque late this afternoon. Back to yesterday , when 20 Razorbills were along the northwest coast.