by Michael Dryden
•
6 January 2026
06.01.2026 with the current cold conditions to the north of us, Lapwings and Golden Plovers are starting to arrive on the Island in numbers now. These Lapwings were seen here dropping into the field at Le Catillon today. Image : MD A fair day with good sunny periods in a light northwest wind. Seen at La Rocque from first light were 4 Great Northern Divers, 46 Red-breasted Mergansers , 6 Pochard , 12 Gannets , 10 Slavonian Grebes , 3 Black-necked Grebes , 11 Lapwings , 8 Greenshanks , 70 Ringed Plovers , 90 Black-headed Gulls , 3 Mediterranean Gulls , 12 Grey Herons and 31 Little Egrets , also 2 male Black Redstarts . In Grouville Bay were another Great Northern Diver , 3 Black-necked Grebes , 5 Great Crested Grebes , 12 Teal , 623 Brent Geese , 2 Shelduck , a Knot , 455 Sanderlings , 300 Dunlin , 2 Bar-tailed Godwits , and another Black Redstart . Maximum numbers at Le Catillon were 330 Lapwings, 47 Golden Plovers, 30 Starlings and 15 Common Gulls . At La Sente were 103 Brent Geese, 9 Snipe , 23 Lapwings , 10 Redwings , 3 Song Thrushes and 2 Pied Wagtails . A White-fronted Goose was at Grouville Marsh again. Also seen there were 25 Reed Buntings , 12 Chiffchaffs , 5 Blackcaps , 3 Cett i's Warblers , 2 Bullfinches , 60 Redwings , 2 Song Thrushes , 6 Teal , 2 Woodcocks , a Snipe , 2 Marsh Harriers , a Sparrowhawk , 80 Jackdaws , a Barn Owl and 9 Cattle Egrets overflying. In St Ouen's Bay were a Caspian Gull , 2 Common Gulls , 12 Great Black-backed Gulls , a Lesser Black-backed Gull , 12 Mediterranean Gulls and 20 Black-headed Gulls . 40 Shovelers were on St Ouen's Pond and in the fields behind St Ouen's Pond were 337 Lapwings, 200 Stock Doves and 106 Brent Geese . A Bittern was seen at the Scrape again. Up at Les Landes were 27 Golden Plovers , a Peregrine , 4 Stonechats , 2 Ravens and 4 Choughs . At Le Pulec were 125 Oystercatchers , 7 Little Egrets and 40 Rock Pipits . In Beaumont Marsh were 4 Snipe and 2 Pied Wagtails , in St Brelade's Bay were 3 Pied Wagtails and at Gorselands was a single Lapwing . At La Freminerie ( St Saviour) w ere 7 Lapwings , 22 Pied Wagtails , 55 Redwings and 40 Chaffinches . 3 Teal , 5 Tufted Ducks and a Chiffchaff were in Grands Vaux and in a field by Hautes Croix Stores in St John were a further 50 Lapwings .