October 2022 — Just A Bird

October began with one of many stomps round Pleinmont, none of which produced any big-finds but at least there is always something of interest to see during this month. Pleinmont on 1st was windy - very much a theme of the month - and the sheltered valleys produced lots of Chiffchaffs and a few Firecrests but little new. A single Spotted Flycatcher at Fort Hommet pines on 5th was pretty late for the species.

Just as I was pulling into Rousse on 6th October for a quick look round after work, the grapevine came through of a Red-throated Diver that Mark G had just seen at Belle Greve Bay. This species was easily by biggest “tart” for Guernsey - 24 years and not even close to seeing one. There had been a few seawatching sightings and one or two in bays when I was unavailable, but nothing for me that was ever ‘gettable’. So I u-turned and drove across to the east coast, just a 5 minute detour, and pulled up at the Red Lion. I quickly saw the bird swimming offshore to the north and I grabbed my stuff and walked up the beach. It had already started drifting out into the Russell by the time I reached parallel with it. The diver had drifted out far enough so that any photos would be tricky, but I managed to get a few distant snaps. And it gradually swam further and further out until it was just a speck in my bins, and was never seen again. I was lucky to get there in time to see it - number 272 for my Guernsey List.

Red-throated Diver - Belle Greve Bay, 6 Oct 22

I was back up at Pleinmont on 9th but a stiff southerly had set in - not ideal for migrants hunting. There was a small passage of Siskins occurring though, with as many as 40 recorded flying south in small groups. Three late-ish Yellow Wagtails fed in with the cows and a surprising Mistle Thrush flew around for a circuit. The best bird though was a superb juvenile Hobby which did a circuit of the sheltered slope above Pezeries Bay, coming so close over my head it looked at me as it passed.

I tried Pleinmont again on 15th October and it was less busy, although I did see the single Yellow-browed Warbler briefly in Pezeries Dell but it would not show for more than a few moments.

There was a little more activity in the next few days along my coastal, weekday patch. My first Redwing of the autumn was at Fort Hommet on 18th and two Snipe flew by at Pulias on 19th. The first Black Redstart of the autumn was present at Rousse on 20th where a Clouded Yellow was a surprising sight.

I tried Pleinmont again on 22nd but was again met with unhelpful stiff southerlies. There was more activity than last week though and I managed brief views of both Yellow-browed and Dartford Warbler in the same spots as last time I saw them. Skylarks and Chaffinches were on the move in small numbers and a Whinchat was lingering. The best sighting was a brownish Merlin which flew by me low over a field at Mont Herault after scattering wagtails and pipits. It swooped up and joined both Peregrine and Kestrel in the skies above the cliffs there.

As it was half-term, I didn’t have to wait a week until my next visit and so went up to Pleinmont again on Tuesday 25th when the wind was, you’ve guessed it, stiff southerly again - the 4th visit in a row with annoying winds. The most unusual record was a half-singing Cetti’s Warbler in Blackthorn by the car park, that Wayne had found a few days previously. This was my first-ever on the headland. There were small numbers of expected species but little on migration. A total of 8 Swallows went through and a Reed Bunting flew round the fields at Mont Herault.

The next day I changed tack and went to the furthest point NE at Fort Doyle. There was a showy Black Redstart and a Wheatear on the seaward rocks and a couple of Firecrests in a garden.

Disappointingly, the winds didn’t change once during my week off but 27th October was a much better day. Even though it was really dull I thought I’d give La Garenne a quick look for rare warblers. A superb Yellow-browed Warbler showed well right by the entrance and I managed to get some decent pics. Not the rarest but it is always nice to find away from Pleinmont.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Garenne, 27 Oct 22

The grapevine then alerted me to a Desert Wheatear that had turned up on the cliffs at Pleinmont. Although I have seen some before, a rare wheatear is not to be missed and I wanted to see this, especially as it looked like a classy male. I wasn’t able to dash out straight away but I managed to get up there quite soon, only to be told that it had just flown round the headland and no-one knew where it was. I then trudged up and down the cliff path for quite a while but it was nowhere. People who were searching began to drift off and I thought I’d give a quick check of the nearby fields. I did a circuit and then saw that, in fact, everyone who was looking had departed, and it was just me left. It was more than an hour since anyone had seen it and so I guessed that it had flew inland. But, just before heading home I had one last look over the cliffs and saw a white arse fly away from me! I don’t know where it had been but it was back in the exact spot it was at the very start. It was difficult to get very close to as it seemed to prefer the rocks half-way down the cliff slope. This is now the 7th for Guernsey, which is quite remarkable, and the fourth that I’ve seen.

29th October was apparently a good migration day on the headland but I was stuck at home. Just looking from the garden in half-an-hour I had flyover Skylark and Snipe, plus 50+ Chaffinches and 100+ Redwings. A late Wheatear at Rousse that afternoon and a Teal at Pulias Pond on 31st finished the month off. Another disappointing October for Guernsey rarities, rescued slightly by the excellent Desert Wheatear.

The wet and windy weather meant that very little moth-trapping was done, but I managed a couple of nights during half-term with the southerly winds suggesting I might get a few migrants. Two Scarce Bordered Straws were the first for ages, one being a really dark individual, and a Dark Chestnut was again the first for years.

Just A Bird

Just A Bird

Mark Lawlor's Nature Blog

Just A Bird

Just A Bird