Jersey Birds

28.07.2025 A flock of Black-headed Gulls with a selection of plumages, seen in the Sandpits last week. Image: MD Cloudy to fair conditions in a moderate north-west wind. Among birds seen during a visit to Les Minquiers today were 80 Turnstones , 9 Sandwich Terns , 80 Shags, mainly immatures, 6 Cormorants , 21 Great Black-backed Gulls a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Willow Warbler . This morning's passage past Corbiere included 3 Common Scoters , 5 Balearic Shearwaters , 5 Manx Shearwaters , 35 Gannets , 12 Fulmars , 84 Shags including good numbers of immatures, 2 Sandwich Terns , 40 Mediterranean Gulls , 22 Black-headed Gulls , 53 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 32 Great Black-backed Gulls, a Kittiwake , 45 Curlews heading off to a roost, a Turnstone , an immature Peregrine being chased off by an adult bird, a Raven and 12+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins , also 3 Swallows . In Petit Port Bay were 22 Mediterranean Gulls and 27 Black-headed Gulls . Seen from Dawn at St Ouen's Pond were 4 Green Sandpipers , a Swift , 30 Sand Martins , 25 Swallows , 8 House Martins , 20 Sedge Warblers , 30 Reed Warblers , 2 Willow Warblers , 10 Chiffchaffs , a Blackcap , 6 Cetti's Warblers , a Water Rail , a singing Skylark , 2 Grey Herons , a juvenile Marsh Harrier and a family of 4 Stonechats . On the Scrape were 3 Green Sandpipers, a Grey Heron and a passing Swift, and a Common Sandpiper was in the Sandpits. On Mont Matthieu were a Willow Warbler , a Blackcap and a juvenile Marsh Harrier . North of Le Braye slip this afternoon were a Yellow-legged Gull , 72 Great Black-backed Gulls and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, At St Aubin were 140 Black-headed Gulls and 9 Redshanks and around Elizabeth Castle were 150 Oystercatchers and 2 Cormorants . An extra for yesterday was a raft of 500-600 Balearic Shearwaters seen off Grosnez from the cross channel ferry.

27.07.2025 A juvenile Goldfinch at Kempt Tower this week. Image: MD A fair to cloudy day in a moderate north-west wind Mediterranean Gull numbers continue to rise on a daily basis with another 44 seen passing Corbiere this morning. Also passing were 5 Balearic Shearwaters , 4 Manx Shearwaters , a Fulmar , 49 Gannets , 80 Shags , 12 Cormorants , a Common Scoter , 4 Black-headed Gulls , 52 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 26 Great Black-backed Gulls , 2 Curlews , a Turnstone and 2 Swallows . A Peregrine and a Raven also flew by. At Petit Port were a further 55 Mediterranean Gulls , 42 Black-headed Gulls , a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 7 Little Egrets . 2 Sandwich Terns were at the Gunsite in St Aubin's Bay and 2 Peregrines were seen at Jardin d'Olivet. Evening update: At Les Landes were a Wheatear and a Swift and in St Ouen's Bay were a Yellow-legged Gull, 128 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 72 Black-backed Gulls and 10 Mediterranean Gulls . At Grands Vaux reservoir were a Grey Heron , a Common Sandpiper , 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls . In Vallee des vaux was a Firecrest in moult and on Mont Cochon was a Goldcrest with 2 fledged young. At the Gunsite in St Aubin's Bay were 40 Black-headed Gulls with another 3 Black-headed Gulls seen at Rozel. Extra reports for yesterday evening include 147 Black-headed Gulls at La Pulente and Barn Owls seen near Victoria Tower and Les Pres Manor in Grouville.

26.07.2025 Stock Dove in the Sandpits. Image: MD After a little drizzle first thing, it was a mainly cloudy day in a moderate west-northwest wind. a small overnight fall of migrants at St Ouen's Pond involved 20 Sedge Warblers, 2 Willow Warblers , a Whitethroat and 40 Reed Warblers and also seen from first light there, were 15 House Martins , 20 Swallows , 20 Sand Martins , a juvenile Marsh Harrie r, a Kestrel , a Sparrowhawk , a family of 4 Stonechats , 2 Grey Herons, 2 Grey Herons, a Chough and 6 Pochards flying over. At La Pulente were 6 Little Egrets , a Mediterranean Gull and a Grey Seal . On Grouville Common were a Wheatear and a male and juvenile Cirl Bunting . A Grey Heron was seen at Handois reservoir. At sea, off of Corbiere this morning, were a flock of 17 Common Scoters , an adult Roseate Tern , 4 Sandwich Terns , a Manx Shearwater , a Balearic Shearwater , 60 Gannets , a Fulmar , 11 Cormorants , 51 Shags , 35 Mediterranean Gulls , 2 Black-headed Gulls , 63 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 25 Great Black-backed Gulls , a Whimbrel , 5 Curlews , 2 Peregrines , a juvenile Kestrel , 3 Little Egrets, 3 Swifts , a pod of 6+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins , and on the headland, 11 Rock Pipits and a Chiffchaff . In Petit Port Bay were 29 Curlews , a Whimbrel , 35+ Mediterranean Gulls , 2 Sandwich Terns and a Grey Heron . In St Ouen's Bay this evening were 2 Yellow-legged Gulls , 96 Great Black-backed Gulls , 67 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 10 Mediterranean Gulls , 45 Black-headed Gulls and a German colour-ringed Ringed Plover . Yesterday evening at St Ouen's Pond were a Swift , 15 House Martins , 30 Swallows , 60 Sand Martins , a Common Sandpiper , a Stonechat and a juvenile Marsh Harrier .

25.07.2025. A juvenile Black-headed Gull at Le Pulec today. Image: MD Another day with a cloudy start and a fine afternoon in a moderate northwest wind. Seen this morning at Corbiere, before 9 am were 5 Manx Shearwaters , 2 Balearic Shearwaters , a Fulmar , 49 Gannets , 24 Shags , 4 Cormorants , 14 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Black-headed Gulls, 21 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 27 Great Black-backed Gulls , 3 Little Egrets including one juvenile, a Curlew , 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins and 3 Tuna near the lighthouse. In Petit Port Bay were 19 Curlews , a Whimbrel , a Turnstone , a Grey Heron , 13 Mediterranean Gulls and 56 Black-headed Gulls. In St Ouen's Bay, at Le Pulec were 10 Black-headed Gulls and 10 Little Egrets and around Kempt Tower were 5 Whitethroats , 2 Stonechats and a Dartford Warbler . At St Ouen's Pond were a Grey Heron , 5 Sand Martins and 4 Swallows , but nothing was on the Scrape as it is currently being cut. At Noirmont were the first 2 Willow Warblers of the "Autumn", also 20 Swallows and a Swift while in Elizabeth Harbour in St Aubin's Bay were 20 Swifts , 6 Oystercatchers including a family of four, a Common Sandpiper , 7 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls . On the southeast of the Island, hundreds of Sandwich Terns and 100+ Oystercatchers were at Pontac and 97 Sandwich Terns , 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 72 Oystercatchers were at La Rocque. 8 Mediterranean Gulls were seen at Seymour and another 7 Mediterranean Gulls were at Bel Val. Evening update : At Petit Port this evening were 28 Mediterranean Gulls, a Kittiwake and a Whimbrel . 207 Black-headed Gulls were at Le Hurel this evening, also 11 Sandwich Terns while at La Rocque were a Ringed Plover and a Grey Heron . 11 Swallows were at Rue de Pont and 7 Sand Martins were over the Oyster Farm. 2 Peregrines and a Buzzard were seen at Plemont this afternoon too.

24.07.2025 A fine male Stonechat at Kempt Tower. Image: MD A cloudy morning and a fair to fine afternoon, with moderate winds from the north-northeast At La Rocque this morning were 2 Arctic Skuas, 100 Sandwich Terns, 6 Common Sandpipers , 2 Turnstones , 3 Grey Herons and 2 Mediterranean Gulls . In St Brelade, 6 Common Crossbills flew over Mont les Vaux this morning and in Petit Port Bay were 23 Curlews , 4 Little Egrets , 19 Mediterranean Gulls ( not the birds seen off of Corbiere), and a Black-headed Gull . Counts from Corbiere included 43 Manx Shearwaters , 10 Balearic Shearwaters , 2 Guillemots , 3 Fulmars , 52 Gannets , 23 Cormorants , 28 Shags , a Grey Heron , 19 Mediterranean Gulls , 3 Kittiwakes , 4 Black-headed Gulls , 44 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 27 Great Black-backed Gulls and 5 Sandwich Terns . An unusual sight early today was a Coot migrating at sea, which passed the newspaper delivery boat 5 miles northwest of Grosnez Point. A pale-phase Buzzard was seen at La Coupe.

23.07.2025 Sandwich Tern carrying food for juvenile at La Rocque today. Image: MD A day of varying cloud, with showers passing close to the Island in a light to fresh west-northwest wind Seen over the high tide at La Rocque and Seymour were 180+ Sandwich Terns, many of them juveniles , 70 Black-headed Gulls , 20 Mediterranean Gulls , 23 Gannets , 9 Cormorants , 4 Grey Herons , 2 Whimbrels , a Curlew , a Common Sandpiper , 2 Swifts , 5 House Martins, 3 Swallows and 2 White Wagtails . At Le Hocq and Icho Tower rocks were 35 Little Egrets and 75 Curlews . 2 Cattle Egrets were at Grouville Marsh, also a Song Thrush and a Great Spotted Woodpecker . In St Ouen's Bay, at the Sandpits, were 3 Barnacle Geese , a juvenile Marsh Harrier, 12 Little Grebes , 2 juvenile Black-headed Gulls , 4 Little Egrets , 2 Oystercatchers , 294 Coot , 52 Tufted Ducks and 15 Sand Martins. On the Scrape were 2 Teal , another juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Sand Martin, 2 pairs of Reed Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler feeding young. A Sparrowhawk was at Kempt Tower pools, 4 Curlews were at Le Pulec, a Grey Heron was at Grantez and Reed Warblers were feeding young at L'Etacq. At Noirmont, 2 juvenile Kestrels were hunting on foot in the large field with a Dartford Warbler and 2 Buzzards also seen and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving west overhead. A Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were at Beaumont Marsh. In the Sandpits yesterday evening were 4 Swifts , 20 House Martins , 5 Sand Martins, 30 Swallows , 2 pairs of Reed Warblers feeding young, 2 Grey Herons and a juvenile Marsh Harrier .

22.07.2025 Lesser Black-backed Gulls are starting to pass the Island in numbers, as they begin to move south again. This one was pictured passing Grosnez this morning. Image MD A cloudy day in a fresh to strong west-southwest wind Some signs today that migration is starting to get underway, with a Wheatear reported at Les Landes, also 2 very early Pied Wagtails at La Rocque, while passing Grosnez were 7 Balearic Shearwaters , 3 Manx Shearwaters, a Razorbill , 30 Gannets , 10 Cormorants , 39 Shags , 110 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 115 Herring Gulls , 35 Great Black-backed Gulls and 2 Black-headed Gulls . Several new birds were seen around the south-east of the Island. At La Rocque were an adult Roseate Tern with a juvenile , a summer-plumaged Knot , a Black-tailed Godwit , 3 Common Terns , 110 Sandwich Terns , 11 Mediterranean Gulls , 7 Common Sandpipers , a Greenshank and a Whimbrel . In Grouville Bay earlier were 114 Sandwich Terns , possibly the same birds as above, 4 Mediterranean Gulls , 14 Curlews and a Whimbrel and at Grouville Marsh were 3 Cattle Egrets . 5 Swifts were over Victoria Tower this morning. In St Ouen's Bay sandpits were 25 Tufted Ducks , 2 Little Grebes , 100+ Coot , 36 Black-headed Gulls , nearly all of them juveniles, 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 8 Great Black-backed Gulls , a juvenile Marsh Harrier , 2 Swifts , 20 Sand Martins and a Cetti's Warbler . 4 Black-headed Gulls included one juvenile, in St Aubin's Harbour.

21.07.2025 A Whitethroat near the Kempt Tower pools this morning. Image: MD A cloudy day with rain early morning and an increasing west-northwest wind through the afternoon. A slow morning at Corbiere, recorded a Manx Shearwater , 35 Gannets , a Fulmar , 9 Cormorants , 87 Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving West, 5 Mediterranean Gulls , 19 Black-headed Gulls , 15 Great Black-backed Gulls , 2 Marsh Harriers , a Kestrel and a Raven . In Petit Port Bay this afternoon were 21 Curlews , a Whimbrel , 4 Little Egrets , 4 Mediterranean Gulls , 37 Black-headed Gulls , a Grey Heron and 2 Kestrels . A sign of the times was a flock of 5 Cattle Egrets which appeared at Grouville Marsh ( with many more to follow?) A single Swift was seen at Rozel. In the area around Kempt Tower pools this morning were a Dartford Warbler , 2 Whitethroats , a family of 4 Stonechats , 4 Chiffchaffs , 4 Reed Warblers , a Cetti's Warbler, 15 Linnets , 12 Goldfinches , a Skylark , a Little Grebe , 2 Tufted Ducks , a Sparrowhawk , 3 Marsh Harriers including 2 fledged juveniles, a Grey Heron , 3 House Martins , also 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls flying over. At St Ouen's Pond were 4 Swifts , 10 House Martins , 20 Sand Martins, and a Grey Heron , while at the Scrape were a Teal , 2 Swallows , 4 Reed Warblers , 4 Chiffchaffs and a Skylark . At St Aubin were 9 Swifts , 8 Redshanks , a Kestrel , a Peregrine and a Little Egret . Evening update : In the Sandpits were 3 Barnacle Geese , 7 Grey Herons , 12 Little Egrets , 192 Coot , 85 Tufted Ducks, 39 Great Black-backed Gulls , 50+ Black-headed Gulls, a Cormorant and 40+ hirundines . At Le Braye were 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 64 Great Black-backed Gulls. Further reports for yesterday include 6 Stonechats on the Blanches Banques, a Grey Heron at La Blinerie, 2 Swifts over Grainville cricket pitch and 4 Ravens in flight over Vallee des Vaux.

20.07.2025 Linnet at Kempt Tower. Image: MD Showers surrounded the Island this morning, but mostly avoided it, with fair conditions and an isolated shoer this afternoon in a gusty south-south west wind moderating The quiet times continue. Passing Corbiere through the morning were 5 Whimbrels , 2 Curlews , 5 Ringed Plovers , 70 Gannets , 3 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Balearic Shearwaters , 7 Cormorants , a Guillemot , a Common Tern , a Fulmar , 49 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 9 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Kittiwakes , 19 Black-headed Gulls , 32 Great Black-backed Gulls and 5 Swifts . Over the headland were a Raven and a Chough . In Petit Port on the rising tide were 25 Curlews , c 50 Oystercatchers and 2 Little Egret . On the Scrape later, were a Teal , a Grey Heron , 2 Reed Warblers , 11 Goldfinches , 6 Sand Martins and 6 Swallows . 11 Ravens were seen doing battle with a Buzzard near the radar site at Les Platons and a Sparrowhawk was seen circling over Red Houses. An extra for yesterday were the Barnacle Goose and Pink-footed Goose duo, 220 Coot and a female Tufted Duck with a duckling.