Jersey Birds

02.01.2024  A spectacular Marsh Harrier at the Pond yesterday  MD

A wash out of a morning, but very mild at 13c, with winds increasing to a west-southwest F8 gusting F9 this afternoon, after the rain cleared.

A brief seawatch from Corbiere this morning saw 292 Razorbills and 7 Gannets pass in thirty minutes, before heavy rain stopped the passage ( and the observation!) This afternoon at Grosnez were rafts of at least 70 Fulmars offshore, with 13 Gannets passing, but little else. 21 Curlews and 2 Turnstones were roosting among the Oystercatchers at Petit Port. 8 Cattle Egret were in a field at L'Etacq

At St Ouen's Pond and Scrape were 116 Brent Geese, 30 Lapwings, a Snipe, a Chiffchaff, a Hen Harrier quartering the backfields and at least 14 Marsh Harriers coming in to roost later this afternoon. A Water Pipit was at the Wetland Centre yesterday.

At La Sente were 2 Shelduck, 445 Brent Geese, 270 Black-headed Gulls, an Egyptian Goose, 36 Curlews, 71 Redshanks, 4 Greenshanks, 26 Little Egrets, 24 Cattle Egrets, 8 Grey Herons and  8 Redwings.

In Grouville Bay were 165 Sanderlings, 95 Turnstones and a Great Crested Grebe and at La Rocque were 56 Brent Geese, another Great Crested Grebe, 30 Turnstones and one Sanderling. At Gorey Harbour, a Peregrine was seen sitting on a Black-headed Gull. Another 11 Cattle Egrets were at Cowley Farm.

At a saturated Beamont Marsh were 300 Brent Geese, 250 Black-headed Gulls, 150 Mallards, 2 Little Egrets and a Curlew while at St Aubin were a Great Crested Grebe, 40 Redshanks and 5 Turnstones.