20.02.2025 Not all of the Oystercatchers around our coast at the moment are local birds. This image, taken by Romano, shows an Icelandic ringed bird at La Rocque recently- the second one seen here this Winter.
A milder day at 11c, with rain clearing before Dawn, leaving an overcast day in a southerly wind.
Good numbers of birds were at La Rocque this morning with counts there of 3 Black-necked Grebes, 650 Dunlin, 390 Sanderlings, 165 Turnstones, 268 Grey Plovers, 58 Curlews, 105 Oystercatchers, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Black Redstart. La Sente was also busy, with a Merlin, 500 Brent Geese, 2 Shelduck, 5 Greenshanks, 66 Redshanks, 12 Cattle Egrets, 24 Little Egrets, 11 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, 200 Black-headed Gulls, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Ravens, 30 Pied Wagtails and a Chiffchaff seen.
2 Mistle Thrushes were at Grouville Marsh, also 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and another Mistle Thrush was in Route des Hetres in St Peter, where 10 Redwings, 36 Pied Wagtails and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also present. 3 Cattle Egrets were at Les Charrieres. Another 3 Cattle Egrets were near Rozel Manor, also 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 22 Brent Geese were at Rozel Harbour. Fieldfares have been very scarce this winter, but 8 have been seen at Sorel in the last few days. 100 Chaffinches were at Rue de Douaire in St John. 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at Augres.
Just a few birds to note passing Corbiere this morning, which included 32 Brent Geese - 29 of which were in a flock heading north offshore, presumably already heading back, also 21 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, a Fulmar, 63 Gannets, a Red-throated Diver, 16 Cormorants, 2 Kittiwakes, 2 Mediterranean Gulls and 46 Great Black-backed Gulls. At Petit Port were 34 Curlews, 4 Turnstones and a Purple Sandpiper.
At and around St Ouen's Pond were 15 Wigeon, 22 Shovelers, 3 Little Grebes, 55 Lapwings, 9 Snipe, 3 Mediterranean Gulls and a Water Pipit. Roosting near the Cutty Sark in St Ouen's Bay were 36 Ringed Plovers, 22 Dunlin and 5 Sanderlings. On Mont Matthieu, behind St Ouen's Bay, were 7 Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Chiffchaff, a pair of Chough, a Buzzard, a Marsh Harrier and a Red Squirrel and at La Rue du Clos Fallu Trinity, were 4 Mediterranean Gulls, 4 Common Gulls, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 120 Black-headed Gulls.
Mick Dryden
Romano da Costa
Tony Paintin