Jersey Birds

10.01.2024  A male Stonechat in Grouville Bay yesterday    Romano da Costa

A dry but often cloudy day . cold at just 3c in a moderate Easterly wind.

Seabirds were on the move this morning, after a day off yesterday. Seen through the morning off La Coupe were a Great Skua, 3 Great Northern Divers, 2 Black-throated Divers, 48 Red-throated Divers, 39 Brent Geese, a Shelduck, 7 Common Scoters, 5 Wigeon, 3 Shovelers, 105 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, 16 Common Gulls, a Kittiwake, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 7 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Curlews, 2 Gannets and a Grey Heron while onshore were 2 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a male Marsh Harrier, 2 Redwings, a Blackcap, at least 9 Robins, a Song Thrush, 20 Chaffinches and a Raven.

A two hour watch from Corbiere saw a Pomarine Skua, an Eider, 4 Shelducks, a Brent Goose, 150 Razorbills, 10 Guillemots, 2 Common Gulls, a Red-throated Diver, 10 Kittiwakes and 10 Gannets.

At La Sente were 3 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 2 Shelduck, 27 Lapwings and a Common Gull and at La Rue Parcq were 29 Cattle Egrets and 7 Curlews.  At Rozel were 27 Brent Geese, a Firecrest and a Grey Wagtail and at La Rocque were a Black-necked Grebe, 2 Grey Plovers, 3 Grey Herons, 11 Little Egrets and 2 Black Redstarts.

Duck numbers are slowly increasing with the cold weather and at St Ouen's Pond today were 63 Teal 14 Shovelers, 3 Wigeon, also 70 Brent Geese, 27 Snipe, 74 Lapwings, 145 Skylarks, a Reed Bunting, 2 Stonechats and 2 Grey Herons.

In other locations, 16 Lapwings and a pale-phase Buzzard were in Trinity, c40 Long-tailed Tits were near the Amaizin Maize in St Peter, 5 Brent Geese were behind Les Mielles Apartments at La Haule and a further 2 Brent Geese were at Ouaisne.