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02.09.2023 This Melodious Warbler was on Les Minquiers on 13th August. Thanks go to Richard Gillam for the report and these lovely images (more below)
A dismal day with rain through most of the day and overcast conditions throughout , but at least it was mild ! Winds were from the South veering North-west this afternoon.
Reports were at a premium today, so a Hoopoe by the Frances le Sueur Centre in St Ouen's Bay was above the call of duty! Nearby, at Kempt Tower, was the family of 4 Little Grebes. Around St Ouen's Pond were 120 Swallows, 15 House Martins, 4 Sand Martins, a Greenshank, a Teal, a Water Rail, 2 Grey Herons, 2 Wheatears and 40+ Starlings. Offshore at Noirmont this morning were a Balearic Shearwater, 35 Gannets, 24 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, a Black-headed Gull, 13 Sandwich Terns, 5 Cormorants and 2 departing Sand Martins and a Swallow. A Barn Owl was hunting the headland at first light. In the Sandpits were 16 Little Grebes, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 14 Tufted Duck, 14 Sand Martins and a Mediterranean Gull.
Seen from Corbiere when the rain ceased, briefly, were 9 Balearic Shearwaters, 15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Sandwich Terns, 3 Whimbrels, a Curlew and 15 Bottle-nosed Dolphins. At Petit Port on the falling tide were 2 Caspian Gulls, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 12 Great Black-backed Gulls, 6 Mediterranean Gulls and 21 Black-headed Gulls, also a Grey Seal. At St Aubin were 18 Redshanks and a Grey Heron.
Seen from Seymour Slip and Le Hurel in Grouville Bay were 200 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 96 Sandwich Terns, 58 Turnstones, 19 Curlews, 40 Ringed Plovers, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshanks, 9 Grey Plovers and 8 Sanderlings. At Grouville Marsh were 2 Cattle Egrets.
More images of the Melodious Warbler from Richard Gillam............
14.02.2026 A great image of a Kingfisher at Queen's Valley, image courtesy of Dave Warncken.
13.02.2026 A beautiful comparison montage of Great Northern Diver and Black-throated Diver at La Rocque. Thanks Romano! RDC
12.02.2026 Lesser Black-backed Gulls are already returning to our latitude, with 25 seen passing Grosnez this morning, including this pristine bird MD
11.02.2026 Slavonian Grebe , at La Rocque, image courtesy of Romano RDC
10.02.2026 Snipe have been in short supply so far this Winter. These were at the Wetland Centre this week. MD
09.02.2026 By way of a change, a Common Dolphin passing Grosnez this morning, one of 16 seen. MD An overcast day with heavy rain this afternoon in a fresh to strong south-southeast wind (10c) Little is changing at the moment on the bird front. Today's counts from La Sente include c350 Brent Geese , 2 Shoveler , a Wigeon , 11 Curlews , 72 Redshanks , 6 Greenshanks , 2 Snipe , 13 Grey Herons , 26 Little Egrets , 2 Cattle Egrets , 120 Black-headed Gulls , 26 Common Gulls and 3 Mediterranean Gulls . 64 Cattle Egrets were at Rue Parcq. In Grouville Marsh were 55 Cattle Egrets and 40 Linnet and at La Rocque were a Black - throated Diver , a Great Northern Diver , 2 Red-breasted Mergansers , a Black-necked Grebe and 2 Black Redstarts . Most interest at Grosnez surrounded a loose pod of 16 Common Dolphins which were being followed by 105 Gannets as they moved East. Otherwise, seen there were 2 grey goose sp , 30 + Fulmars , a Lesser Black-backed Gull , 2 Curlews and 11 Linnets . On St Ouen's Pond were 10 Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck , 5 Wigeon , 54 Shoveler , 120 Brent Geese , 2 Little Grebes , a Grey Heron , 28 Lapwings , a passing Grey Plover , 6 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Black-headed Gulls , 4 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Water Pipit . By Sands Slip were 24 Dunlin , 22 Ringed Plovers , 3 Sanderling and 2 Oystercatchers . Waders at Petit Port included 28 Turnstones , 5 Purple Sandpipers and 17 Grey Plovers . In Beaumont Marsh were 520 Brent Geese and 73 Black-headed Gulls . At The Elms in St Peter were 38 Redwings and a Goldcrest , and by St John's Village were 100+ Stock Doves .
08.02.2026 A young Lapwing at the Wetland Centre today. MD Some early rain and hill fog, then cloudy with the odd shower in a fresh south-southeast wind (10c) At La Sente this morning were 24 Little Egrets , a Lapwing , a Snipe , 11 Grey Herons , 2 Shoveler , 350 Brent Geese , 76 Redshanks , 7 Greenshanks , a Common Gull , 40 Black-headed Gulls , and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls at at Rue Parcq were 82 Cattle Egrets and 32 Curlews . On Grouville Common were a Stonechat , 4 Blackcaps , a Cirl Bunting , 2 Greenfinches and a singing Song Thrush . At La Rocque were a Black-throated Diver , 5 Great Northern Divers , 2 Slavonian Grebes , 3 Black-necked Grebes , 4 Red-breasted Mergansers , 26 Ringed Plovers , 2 Bar-tailed Godwits , 370 Turnstones , 200 Grey Plovers, 650 Dunlin and 480 Sanderlings . Seen from Le Pulec were a Great Northern Diver , 35 Gannets , 41 Shags , 7 Cormorants , 14 Curlews , 200 Oystercatchers , 15 Little Egrets , 200 Oystercatchers and 24 Rock Pipits, and seen from the Wetland centre were 172 Brent Geese , 5 Wigeon , 47 Shoveler , 4 Pochard , 2 Tufted Duck , 26 Lapwings , 8 Snipe , 2 Little Grebes and a Water Pipit . 36 Brent Geese were at Petit Port as well as 52 Mediterranean Gulls . At Kempt Tower were the Snow Bunting , 4 Tufted Ducks , 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Stonechats . In Beaumont Marsh were 2 Cattle Egrets, 3 Little Egrets , 50 Black-headed Gulls , 30 Redwings and 9 Pied Wagtails , and at St Aubin were 6 Great Crested Grebes , 33 Redshanks and 3 Turnstones . A Grey Wagtail was in it's regular garden on Old St John's Road in St Helier. Yesterday evening, 60 Sanderlings were in St Brelade's Bay on the high tide.
07.02.2026 Male Shoveler taking flight at La Sente this morning. MD Overnight rain cleared by Dawn leaving cloudy conditions and scattered showers in a fresh southwest wind (10c) Seen early morning at La Rocque were 4 Great Northern Divers , 2 Black-throated Divers , a Slavonian Grebe , a Black-necked Grebe , 7 Red-breasted Mergansers , 206 Grey Plovers , 66 Curlews , a Bar-tailed Godwit and 500 + Dunlin / Sanderlings , also a Black Redstart . In Grouville Bay, as seen from Seymour were 2 Great Northern Divers , 3 Great Crested Grebes and 300 Brent Geese . At La Sente were 200+ Brent Geese , a Wigeon , 2 Shovelers , 7 Greenshanks , 77 Redshanks , 8 Curlews , 9 Grey Herons , 8 Common Gulls , 3 Mediterranean Gulls , 280 Black-headed Gulls , 2 Ravens , 5 Pied Wagtails and a Redwing . In Rue Parcq were 68 Cattle Egrets. 7 Brent Geese were at Rozel. At Beaumont Marsh were 450 Brent Geese , 30 Black-headed Gulls , 10 Pied Wagtails , a Firecrest , 3 Song Thrushes and 2 Little Egrets Waders roosting at Corbiere included 10 Purple Sandpipers , 9 Grey Plovers and 13 Turnstones . and the Snow Bunting was seen again at Kempt Tower.
06.02.2026. Cormorants are getting into their finest plumages as they start to breed, indeed some may have already begun. This one is seen here as it passed Grosnez this morning. Image: MD A bright and breezy morning with showers to the north of the Island, becoming cloudy this afternoon. Winds fresh from the southwest (10C) A Great Skua was the pick of the few birds passing Grosnez this morning. Also seen were 35 Gannets , 66 Fulmars , with more on the cliffs there, 29 Shags , 7 Cormorants , 34 Great Black-backed Gulls , 119 Herring Gulls, and 4 Ravens . At Le Pulec were 13 Little Egrets , 225 Oystercatchers and 43 Curlews . In St Ouen's Bay, 52 Great Black-backed Gulls were on the beach, and 8 Grey Herons were at La Pulente, while roosting behind the seawall by the Cutty Sark were 21 Ringed Plovers , 19 Dunlin and 6 Skylarks . The Snow Bunting was by Kempt Tower and at the Pools there, were 2 Tufted Duck , a Water Rail, 2 Ravens and several birds in song in the sunny weather including a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Robin , a Wren and a Great Tit . A Dartford Warble r was heard in song at Gorselands too. In Petit Port Bay were 71 Mediterranean Gulls . On the East of the Island, at La Sente, were 350 Brent Geese , 2 Shoveler , 81 Redshanks , 6 Greenshanks , 21 Grey Herons , 19 Little Egrets , 122 Black - headed Gulls , one Mediterranean Gull, one Common Gull , a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Snipe .
05.02.2026 Mediterranean Gulls are on the West coast in good numbers at the moment, with 124 in Petit Port Bay over this morning's high tide. Several are colour-ringed, including this bird, a regular Winter visitor here, bearing a well-worn German ring ( yellow ATCT). MD A dry but cloudy day deteriorated to a very wet one through the morning in a fresh south-southeast wind. On St Ouen's Pond this morning were 5 Wigeon , 12 Pochard , 19 Shoveler, 3 Tufted Duck, c100 Brent Geese , 2 Mediterranean Gulls , 26 Black-headed Gulls , a Snipe , 3 Grey Herons and a Little Grebe . In the backfields were 21 Lapwings , 50+ Starlings and 170 Stock Doves . The Snow Bunting was seen again, near to Kempt Tower. A very quiet day for seabirds saw 2 Red-throated Divers , 4 Gannets , 7 Cormorants , 38 Shags , 5 Kittiwakes , 14 Mediterranean Gulls , 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 4 Black-headed Gulls and 20 Great Black-backed Gulls pass in ninety minutes. In Petit Port Bay were 124 Mediterranean Gulls , 36 Grey Plovers , 32 Turnstones and roosting at Corbiere were 20 Purple Sandpipers . There has been an increased incidence of dead seabirds being washed up in recent days, mainly Shags , but also a Great Northern Diver and a Gannet . Some have been checked by the States Vet and so far none has proved positive for HPAI, so it may be that the recent very rough sea conditions are taking their toll. At La Sente were 7 Greenshanks , 84 Redshanks , 2 Snipe , 2 Shoveler , a Wigeon , 20 Grey Herons, 63 Mallard , 360 Brent Geese , including one pale-bellied Brent, 11 Cattle Egrets , 14 Pied Wagtails and 35 Redwings . At La Rocque were 2 Great Northern Divers, a Black-throated Diver , 2 Slavonian Grebes and one Great Crested Grebe . In Beaumont Marsh were 150 Brent Geese, 2 Shoveler , 100 Black-headed Gulls , a Sparrowhawk , 3 Little Egrets , 3 Pied Wagtails , 29 Redwings and 8 Meadow Pipits . Elsewhere, 53 Mediterranean Gulls were at the Airport football pitch and 2 Goldcrests were at Le Douet Farm.
