09.09.2024 A great view of the Wryneck which was at Les Landes at the weekend. Thanks go to Stewart Logan for this fine image
There was a definite shift in the seasons today, with grey skies eventually clearing but a much cooler feel to the air in a fresh to strong northwest wind.
Seabirds were few, given the conditions, but seen from Grosnez this morning were 101 Balearic Shearwaters, an Arctic Skua, 5 Fulmars, 23 Gannets, 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 21 Great Black-backed Gulls while in Stinky Bay ( Le Pulec) were 5 Common Sandpipers, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Little Egrets and a large roost of Herring Gulls, Oystercatchers and Cormorants on the cliffside. A similar story at Corbiere involved 4 Common Scoter, 8 Balearic Shearwaters, 2 Sandwich Terns, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 30 Gannets and a Grey Seal.
At Petit Port were 31 Mediterranean Gulls, 69 Black-headed Gulls, 38 Great Black-backed Gulls, 6 Little Egrets and 23 Curlews.
In St Ouen's Bay Sandpits were a Black Tern, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Mediterranean Gull, 36 Black-headed Gulls, 35 House Martins and 17 Swallows. At the Wetland Centre were 8 Shovelers, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Water Rail, 3 Sand Martins and 8 Swallows, and on the Scrape, now re-flooded after the recent deluge, were a Grey Heron, a Snipe and several Teal.
In St Aubin's Bay seen from the Gunsite, were a Wheatear, 3 alba Wagtails and a Swallow and at St Aubin were the 2 pale-bellied Brent Geese again, 16 Redshanks, a Turnstone, 3 Sandwich Terns and 220 Black-headed Gulls. Over the weekend, a Long-eared Owl was heard calling near the War Tunnels. At Noirmont were a Whitethroat, 3 Wheatears, 16 Meadow Pipits, 2 Swallows and 2 Ravens.
Seen in Grouville Bay were 128 Sandwich Terns, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Ringed Plovers, 3 Grey Plovers, a Dunlin, 3 Wheatears and 7 White Wagtails. Grouville Marsh hosted 31 Cattle Egrets ! At Grands Vaux were 5 Tufted Duck, and 2 Willow Warblers and 8 Chiffchaffs plus another Willow Warbler were in a garden in Vallee des Vaux.
Mick Dryden
Romano da Costa
Tony Paintin