10.03.2025  A nice selection of the 88 Cattle Egrets which appeared at La Sente today, with thanks to Alan Gicquel for the image   AG


A mainly overcast day with some light rain, feeling mild in a moderate southeast wind.


La Sente featured well today, with the 88 Cattle Egrets present, almost certainly a day record for any site in Jersey. This afternoon, the first Little Ringed Plover of the year visited there, with others seen today including 2 Shelduck, 30 Redshanks, 2 Curlews and 4 White Wagtails.  At La Rocque this afternoon were a Great Northern Diver, a Slavonian Grebe, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 81 Grey Plovers, 90 Sanderlings, 60 Dunlin, 55 Curlews, 22 Turnstones, 2 Redshanks and 3 Greenshanks, with 8 Common Scoters in Grouville Bay.


It was a little busier at Corbiere than in recent days and seen passing were 263 Razorbills, 12 Guillemots, a flock of 24 Teal moving North, 61 Brent Geese, 2 Fulmars, 15 Gannets, 9 Cormorants, 31 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Peregrines with food, 3 White Wagtails and a Chiffchaff which arrived from the southwest and landed on the first convenient rock.  At Petit Port after this afternoon's high tide were 17 Curlews, 7 Brent Geese, a Cormorant, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls and a Grey Seal.


On St Ouen's Pond were 22 Shovelers, 9 Teal, a Pochard, 2 Little Grebes, 10 Brent Geese, 2 Snipe and 4 Marsh Harriers. On a busy Scrape were 120 Brent Geese, the Pink-footed Goose and Barnacle Goose, 2 Shelduck, 38 Teal, 10 Wigeon with another 4 flying over towards the Pond, and 6 Lapwings.


In St Brelade's Bay were 8 Brent Geese and at Beaumont Marsh were 2 Teal, 60 Starlings, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 2 White Wagtails and a Marsh Harrier. A Kingfisher was in St Helier Marina. This evening in the Marina was a roost of 90 White Wagtails and 30 Pied Wagtails.


In Bouley Bay were a Grey Wagtail and a Grey Heron and in Rozel Harbour were 4 dark-bellied Brent Geese. A Redwing was at Mont a l'Abbe this evening





Below: This morning's Chiffchaff at Corbiere, resting after it's very late arrival for a nocturnal migrant.



 


by Michael Dryden 15 February 2026
15.02.2026 Female Red-breasted Merganser at close quarters, La Rocque Harbour, with thanks to Romano for the image RDC
by Michael Dryden 14 February 2026
14.02.2026 A great image of a Kingfisher at Queen's Valley, image courtesy of Dave Warncken.
by Michael Dryden 13 February 2026
13.02.2026 A beautiful comparison montage of Great Northern Diver and Black-throated Diver at La Rocque. Thanks Romano! RDC
by Michael Dryden 12 February 2026
12.02.2026 Lesser Black-backed Gulls are already returning to our latitude, with 25 seen passing Grosnez this morning, including this pristine bird MD
by Michael Dryden 11 February 2026
11.02.2026 Slavonian Grebe , at La Rocque, image courtesy of Romano RDC
by Michael Dryden 10 February 2026
10.02.2026 Snipe have been in short supply so far this Winter. These were at the Wetland Centre this week. MD
by Michael Dryden 9 February 2026
09.02.2026 By way of a change, a Common Dolphin passing Grosnez this morning, one of 16 seen. MD An overcast day with heavy rain this afternoon in a fresh to strong south-southeast wind (10c) Little is changing at the moment on the bird front. Today's counts from La Sente include c350 Brent Geese , 2 Shoveler , a Wigeon , 11 Curlews , 72 Redshanks , 6 Greenshanks , 2 Snipe , 13 Grey Herons , 26 Little Egrets , 2 Cattle Egrets , 120 Black-headed Gulls , 26 Common Gulls and 3 Mediterranean Gulls . 64 Cattle Egrets were at Rue Parcq. In Grouville Marsh were 55 Cattle Egrets and 40 Linnet and at La Rocque were a Black - throated Diver , a Great Northern Diver , 2 Red-breasted Mergansers , a Black-necked Grebe and 2 Black Redstarts . Most interest at Grosnez surrounded a loose pod of 16 Common Dolphins which were being followed by 105 Gannets as they moved East. Otherwise, seen there were 2 grey goose sp , 30 + Fulmars , a Lesser Black-backed Gull , 2 Curlews and 11 Linnets . On St Ouen's Pond were 10 Pochard, 3 Tufted Duck , 5 Wigeon , 54 Shoveler , 120 Brent Geese , 2 Little Grebes , a Grey Heron , 28 Lapwings , a passing Grey Plover , 6 Mediterranean Gulls, 6 Black-headed Gulls , 4 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Water Pipit . By Sands Slip were 24 Dunlin , 22 Ringed Plovers , 3 Sanderling and 2 Oystercatchers . Waders at Petit Port included 28 Turnstones , 5 Purple Sandpipers and 17 Grey Plovers . In Beaumont Marsh were 520 Brent Geese and 73 Black-headed Gulls . At The Elms in St Peter were 38 Redwings and a Goldcrest , and by St John's Village were 100+ Stock Doves .
by Michael Dryden 8 February 2026
08.02.2026 A young Lapwing at the Wetland Centre today. MD Some early rain and hill fog, then cloudy with the odd shower in a fresh south-southeast wind (10c) At La Sente this morning were 24 Little Egrets , a Lapwing , a Snipe , 11 Grey Herons , 2 Shoveler , 350 Brent Geese , 76 Redshanks , 7 Greenshanks , a Common Gull , 40 Black-headed Gulls , and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls at at Rue Parcq were 82 Cattle Egrets and 32 Curlews . On Grouville Common were a Stonechat , 4 Blackcaps , a Cirl Bunting , 2 Greenfinches and a singing Song Thrush . At La Rocque were a Black-throated Diver , 5 Great Northern Divers , 2 Slavonian Grebes , 3 Black-necked Grebes , 4 Red-breasted Mergansers , 26 Ringed Plovers , 2 Bar-tailed Godwits , 370 Turnstones , 200 Grey Plovers, 650 Dunlin and 480 Sanderlings . Seen from Le Pulec were a Great Northern Diver , 35 Gannets , 41 Shags , 7 Cormorants , 14 Curlews , 200 Oystercatchers , 15 Little Egrets , 200 Oystercatchers and 24 Rock Pipits, and seen from the Wetland centre were 172 Brent Geese , 5 Wigeon , 47 Shoveler , 4 Pochard , 2 Tufted Duck , 26 Lapwings , 8 Snipe , 2 Little Grebes and a Water Pipit . 36 Brent Geese were at Petit Port as well as 52 Mediterranean Gulls . At Kempt Tower were the Snow Bunting , 4 Tufted Ducks , 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Stonechats . In Beaumont Marsh were 2 Cattle Egrets, 3 Little Egrets , 50 Black-headed Gulls , 30 Redwings and 9 Pied Wagtails , and at St Aubin were 6 Great Crested Grebes , 33 Redshanks and 3 Turnstones . A Grey Wagtail was in it's regular garden on Old St John's Road in St Helier. Yesterday evening, 60 Sanderlings were in St Brelade's Bay on the high tide.
by Michael Dryden 7 February 2026
07.02.2026 Male Shoveler taking flight at La Sente this morning. MD Overnight rain cleared by Dawn leaving cloudy conditions and scattered showers in a fresh southwest wind (10c) Seen early morning at La Rocque were 4 Great Northern Divers , 2 Black-throated Divers , a Slavonian Grebe , a Black-necked Grebe , 7 Red-breasted Mergansers , 206 Grey Plovers , 66 Curlews , a Bar-tailed Godwit and 500 + Dunlin / Sanderlings , also a Black Redstart . In Grouville Bay, as seen from Seymour were 2 Great Northern Divers , 3 Great Crested Grebes and 300 Brent Geese . At La Sente were 200+ Brent Geese , a Wigeon , 2 Shovelers , 7 Greenshanks , 77 Redshanks , 8 Curlews , 9 Grey Herons , 8 Common Gulls , 3 Mediterranean Gulls , 280 Black-headed Gulls , 2 Ravens , 5 Pied Wagtails and a Redwing . In Rue Parcq were 68 Cattle Egrets. 7 Brent Geese were at Rozel. At Beaumont Marsh were 450 Brent Geese , 30 Black-headed Gulls , 10 Pied Wagtails , a Firecrest , 3 Song Thrushes and 2 Little Egrets Waders roosting at Corbiere included 10 Purple Sandpipers , 9 Grey Plovers and 13 Turnstones . and the Snow Bunting was seen again at Kempt Tower.
by Michael Dryden 6 February 2026
06.02.2026. Cormorants are getting into their finest plumages as they start to breed, indeed some may have already begun. This one is seen here as it passed Grosnez this morning. Image: MD A bright and breezy morning with showers to the north of the Island, becoming cloudy this afternoon. Winds fresh from the southwest (10C) A Great Skua was the pick of the few birds passing Grosnez this morning. Also seen were 35 Gannets , 66 Fulmars , with more on the cliffs there, 29 Shags , 7 Cormorants , 34 Great Black-backed Gulls , 119 Herring Gulls, and 4 Ravens . At Le Pulec were 13 Little Egrets , 225 Oystercatchers and 43 Curlews . In St Ouen's Bay, 52 Great Black-backed Gulls were on the beach, and 8 Grey Herons were at La Pulente, while roosting behind the seawall by the Cutty Sark were 21 Ringed Plovers , 19 Dunlin and 6 Skylarks . The Snow Bunting was by Kempt Tower and at the Pools there, were 2 Tufted Duck , a Water Rail, 2 Ravens and several birds in song in the sunny weather including a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Robin , a Wren and a Great Tit . A Dartford Warble r was heard in song at Gorselands too. In Petit Port Bay were 71 Mediterranean Gulls . On the East of the Island, at La Sente, were 350 Brent Geese , 2 Shoveler , 81 Redshanks , 6 Greenshanks , 21 Grey Herons , 19 Little Egrets , 122 Black - headed Gulls , one Mediterranean Gull, one Common Gull , a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Snipe .
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