Jersey Birds

Hill fog plagued the Island throughout the day today, with a similar scenarion forecast for tomorrow. Winds were light from the east-southeast.

A few "visual" migrants were located over Victoria Tower this morning despite the weather and these included 122 Redwings, a Fieldfare, 16 Song Thrushes, 12 Blackbirds, a Skylark, 36 Chaffinches, 2 Bramblings, 6 Meadow Pipits, also 2 Goldcrests on the ground.

There was some visibility at sea level, but little was making use of it, with just 5 Brent Geese, a Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Gannets, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 22 Shags and 12 Cormorants seen offshore. and 8 Purple Sandpipers roosting on rocks nearby. A selection of birds brought to ground at Corbiere included a Woodcock, 3 Black Redstarts, 3 Robins, a Redwing, a Song Thrush, a Skylark, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Stonechats, a pale-looking Chiffchaff, 10 Meadow Pipits, 2 Pied Wagtails plus the usual Rock Pipits. 17 Curlews and a Mediterranean Gull were with the Oystercatchers roosting at Petit Port.

St Ouen's Bay was relatively fog free, although a bonfire associated with the reed cutting at the Wetland Centre was compensating for that! On St Ouen's Pond were 9 Wigeon and 12 Shovelers while at Kempt Tower were 4 Teal, 3 Snipe, a Water Rail, 40 Meadow Pipits and a Song Thrush, while on the seawall there were 2 Pied Wagtails, 6 Meadow Pipits and 2 Chouhs. By the Cutty Sark were a Skylark, 3 Pied Wagtails and more Meadow Pipits. In the Sandpits were 23 Little Grebes, one of which had been rescued from a garden in St Helier and is now back where it should be, 10 Pochard, 18 Tufted Ducks, a White Wagtail, a Chiffchaff, a Mediterranean Gull and a Marsh Harrier.

Elsewhere, the Snow Bunting was still at Fort Henry in Grouville Bay, 17 Cattle Egrets were at Le Catillon and a further 6 Cattle Egrets were at La Rue des Fonds. Seen from  Rozel were 6 Brent Geese and a Grey Heron, 2 Skylarks flew over Vallee des Vaux early on and a Black Redstart was in St Martin's Churchyard.

Evening update: An extra in the Sandpits was a Teal and at Grands Vaux were a Grey Heron and  a Grey Wagtail.