
27.08.2026 Arctic Skua off of Grosnez, image courtesy of John Ovenden JO
A dry and warm day, following yesterday's heavy showers, with winds becoming light from the West.
A good mix of species seen from Noirmont this morning, included 2 Great White Egrets flying west together, a Wryneck, 9 Whinchats, 5 Wheatears, 4 Redstarts, 6 Willow Warblers, 6 Whitethroats, 3 Dartford Warblers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Blackcaps and a Stonechat. Visible migration overhead included 209 Swallows, 181 Sand Martins, 11 House Martins, 3 Yellow Wagtails, as well as a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk, 4 Buzzards , a Marsh Harrier and 2 Ravens. Offshore were several Tuna boils attracting the attention of 100+ Sandwich Terns, 20 Mediterranean Gulls, 5 Black-headed Gulls, 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 11 Gannets, a Manx Shearwater and a skua sp, probably an Arctic Skua. On Beauport Common were 2 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 2 Stonechats, a Whitethroat and 2 Buzzards.
On St Ouen's Pond were a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and a Redshank, with 5 Wheatears and a Yellow Wagtail on the north side of the Pond. The Scrape was still dry today, despite the heavy rain, the only birds there, being a family of 4 Stonechats, 3 White Wagtails and 3 Wheatears. In the Sandpits were 7 Common Sandpipers, 10 Little Grebes, 378 Coot and 4 White Wagtails. 2 Stonechats were near to the Gap Hide. Off St Ouen's Bay were 3 Black Terns, and in St Ouen's Bay this afternoon were 4 juvenile Caspian Gulls, 11 Yellow-legged Gulls, 480 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 110 Great Black-backed Gulls, 120 Herring Gulls, 120 Mediterranean Gulls, 45 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Common Gulls. At Petit Port were 131 Mediterranean Gulls, 29 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 juvenile Caspian Gulls, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Common Sandpiper, 10 Curlews, 15 Ringed Plovers and 10 Sandwich Terns.
At Grouville Marsh from first light this morning were 16 Cattle Egrets, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Reed Warblers, 8 Willow Warblers, 30 Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, a Bullfinch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Water Rail. At Grands Vaux reservoir were 6 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Teal, a Grey Heron, a Marsh Harrier and 2 Kingfishers. On Grouville Common were a singing Cetti's Warbler, 10 House Martins and a Peregrine hassling 30 Starlings. An Arctic Skua was seen chasing Sandwich Terns off Les Ecrehous.
Yesterday evening , along the northwest coast were 14 Fulmars, a Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, 4 Ravens, 2 Choughs, a Wheatear and a Dartford Warbler.










