by Michael Dryden
•
4 August 2026
04.08.2026 . This juvenile Dartford Warbler was one of four birds together at Noirmont this morning. MD A cloudier morning than of late, with a few spots of rain on the northwest corner, but clearing to fine this afternoon in a westerly wind. Today's sightings on Les Ecrehous included 100+ Turnstones , 9 Grey Plovers, 5 Ringed Plovers , 10 Little Egrets , 50+ Oystercatchers , 6 Rock Pipits , a Grey Seal, a Red Admiral and a Painted lady . At St Catherine's were 2 Swifts and 28 Swallows . At St Ouen's Pond this morning were a Greenshank briefly, 3 Lapwings , 19 Tufted Ducks , 4 Teal , 4 Shovelers , 82 Black-headed Gulls , 3 Mediterranean Gulls , a Swift , 12 Sand Martins , 4 House Martins, 10 Swallows , and 6 Grey Herons. In the backfields there, were 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 57 Great Black-backed Gulls , and a Kestrel was hunting at the Barge Aground. North of St Ouen's Pond from Dawn were a Barn Owl , 500 Swallows , 30 Sand Martins , 20 House Martins , 35 Sedge Warblers , 40 Reed Warblers , 3 Willow Warblers , a Whitethroat , 5 Swifts , 2 Stonechats , a Sparrowhawk , a Little Grebe , and 2 Marsh Harriers and flying over were a Greenshank , and a Whimbrel . In the Sandpits later morning were a pair of Sand Martins still active, 8 Grey Herons , 4 Little Egrets , 4 Little Grebes , 36 Tufted Ducks , 280 Coot , a Redshank , 3 Marsh Harriers , 5 Oystercatchers and a Mediterranean Gull . Passing Corbiere early on were 24 Manx Shearwaters , 30 Gannets , a Common Scoter and 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , while feeding at the patch north of the lighthouse were 64 Mediterranean Gulls and 28 Black-headed Gulls . At Le Pulec on the high tide were 2 Curlews , 18 Lesser Black - backed Gulls, 14 Great Black-backed Gulls , 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Black-headed Gulls and one of the usual Grey Seals . Up at Les Landes were 4 Buzzards , a Marsh Harrier , a Peregrine , 20+ Meadow Pipits , 12 Swallows , 2 alba Wagtails , 4 Stonechats , 3 Greenfinches , 2 Dartford Warblers and 2 Ravens , with a Kestrel at Grosnez. Around St John's Manor this morning was a Barn Owl with another Barn Owl seen at St Ouen's Manor. At the Elms in St Peter's Valley were 2 Green Sandpipers and a Grey Heron, with a probable Cuckoo seen on a fencepost on a drive by sighting. A pair of Bullfinch was at Trinity Parish Hall. Later morning at Noirmont were 40 Swallows sitting on wires, 10 Greenfinches and 4 Dartford Warblers . Gulls galore in St Ouen's Bay this afternoon included 11 Yellow-legged Gulls, 364 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 338 Great Black-backed Gulls , 36 Mediterranean Gulls and a Common Gull. Yesterday evening north of St Ouen's Pond were 8 Swifts , 20 Reed Warblers , 3 Grey Herons , 6 Little Egrets , a Sparrowhawk and the roost of Sand Martins and Swallows seen again this morning. A Kingfisher was in the St Helier Marina yesterday too.