This is a subtitle for your new post

17.12.2024   It was an organised Brent Goose and Wader count day today. Here is a flock of Grey Plovers with a Turnstone passing through

Grouville Bay (MD). Results of these counts will be published on the Resources page in the next few days.

It was a bleak morning for the counts, but at least it was dry. A temperature of 9c in a cutting southerly wind did not daunt the hardy counters though!


Seen passing through Grouville Bay prior to the count were 6 Great Northern Divers, 4 Red-throated Divers, 2 Shelduck, 35 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Sandwich Tern, 7 Mediterranean Gulls, 14 Common Gulls, 153 Sanderlings  in a mixed flock of small waders, 27 Bar-tailed Godwits  and 4 Gannets, with close on a thousand Black-headed Gulls also in the Bay. Around La Rocque were 3 Great Northern Divers, a Great Crested Grebe, a Slavonian Grebe, a Kittiwake, 5 Common Gulls, a Mediterranean Gull, a Redwing and a Black Redstart. On Grouville Common were 5 Redwings and at Le Hocq was a roost of 130 Curlews, also a Sandwich Tern  and another Black Redstart.  At La Sente were 18 Grey Herons and 10 Little Egrets.


At the Scrape on St Ouen's Pond were a Short-eared Owl and a male Hen Harrier, while seen from the Wetland Centre were 5 Teal, a pair of Shoveler, c40 Lapwings, 12 Snipe, a Grey Heron, a Little Grebe, 3 Brent Geese and a Peregrine  and in the backfields behind the Pond were 5 Brent Geese and 25 Lapwings. In the Sandpits were 2 Pochard, 17 Tufted Duck, 8 Little Grebes, a Grey Heron, 30 Lapwings and 22 Great Black-backed Gulls. In St Ouen's Bay were 43 Ringed Plovers, a Sanderling and a Dunlin and at La Pulente were 6 Brent Geese, a Shelduck, 7 Grey Herons, a flock of Black-headed Gulls  and 9 Mediterranean Gulls.


Also in St Ouen's Bay, offshore at Le Pulec, were hundreds of Razorbills, a Guillemot, 27 Mediterranean Gulls, a Kittiwake, 10 Gannets and at Le Port, 3 Mediterranean Gulls.  Petit Port held 14 Brent Geese, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, 190 Oystercatchers and a Little Egret.


Near Bel Royal in St Aubin's Bay, as well as the Brent Geese, were 2 Black-necked Grebes, 4 Great Crested Grebes and c 50 Black-headed Gulls. At Beaumont Marsh were a Teal, 2 Shovelers, 2 Water Rails, 4 Snipe, 3 Blackcaps and 2 Chiffchaffs.


Below: Redshanks and a large flock of mixed waders in Grouville Bay this morning   MD

by Michael Dryden 16 February 2026
16.02.2026 A cute Fulmar passing Grosnez this morning. Image: MD
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.
More posts