by Michael Dryden
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29 July 2026
29.07.2026 A juvenile Sandwich Tern arriving on the rocks at Petit Port today MD A near perfect Summer's day at 25c, with clear skies and a light easterly wind. Migrants are starting to show up now, albeit only a few at a time so far. On Les Ecrehous today was a Melodious Warbler and also seen there were 3 Grey Plovers , 97 Turnstones , 100 Oystercatchers , a Whimbrel , 100+ Common Terns , 10 Sandwich Terns , a Little Egret and 6 Rock Pipits . A Crossbill was seen at Victoria Tower, 2 Swifts were over St Catherine's and Noirmont's contribution was the first autumn Wheatear , 4 Sand Martins and 12 Swallows . On Queen's Valley reservoir were a Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper and at Rozel was a Whimbrel . At La Rocque was a Roseate Tern resting on rocks there, 100 Sandwich Terns , 50 Mediterranean Gulls , a Turnstone , 5 Common Sandpipers , a Whimbrel and a second year Caspian Gull . A quiet morning in the light winds at Corbiere, saw 66 Balearic Shearwaters , 8 Manx Shearwaters , 50 Gannets , 13 Cormorants , 2 Grey Herons heading West, 4 Little Egrets, 10 Sandwich Terns , 2 Mediterranean Gulls , 4 Black-headed Gulls and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in two hours, while in Petit Port Bay were 33 Curlews , 3 Whimbrels , 19 Mediterranean Gulls , 6 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Sandwich Terns and 7 Little Egrets and a few Tuna were feeding west of the Lighthouse. At Le Pulec were a first winter Caspian Gull, 57 Curlews , 9 Little Egrets and a Stonechat . The Scrape at St Ouen's Pond is now nearly dry, unsurprisingly, but on it were an Oystercatchers , 3 Lapwings , a Dunlin , a Common Sandpiper , a Grey Heron , and good numbers of Reed Warblers and a Blackcap . A Skylark was still singing there and in the tamarisks on the path to the hide were a Sedge Warbler , 3 Reed Warblers , a Willow Warbler , 4 Chiffchaffs and 4 Goldfinches , with a first winter Yellow-legged Gull and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls roosting in the field there. On St Ouen's Beach were 2 Yellow-legged Gulls , 41 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 102 Great Black-backed Gulls and 15 Mediterranean Gulls . A Peregrine was reported from the north of St Peter. At Ouaisne were a Common Sandpiper , a Sedge Warbler and a Reed Warbler. At the Gunsite in St Aubin's Bay were 22 Mediterranean Gulls , 145 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and over Elizabeth Castle were 5 Swifts . At Grands Vaux reservoir and pond were 2 Common Sandpipers , a Grey Heron and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and yesterday evening, a Black-crowned Night Heron was reported from the same location. Below : the Scene at Corbiere this morning. MD