January/February 2023 — Just A Bird

Yellow-browed Warbler - Le Guet, 4 Feb 23

2023 began with a dull and damp January, with practically no photographs taken. Most of the birds seen in the first couple of weeks were things that were already around such as Great Northern Diver, Cattle Egrets in the usual spots and the Little Grebe in St. Sampsons Harbour. I managed to get out on 21st January for a bit of a tour round in more pleasant weather. The Canada Goose flock had increased to 16 birds, feeding with feral Greylags and Barnacle Geese at Barras Lane, the Caerlaverock of Guernsey. Unusually there was a single Lapwing there. At Tielles I came across a wintering flock of 28 Skylarks in the crop fields, one of the few non-grass fields left along the whole SW coast. We’ve not been having many wintering flocks recently so this was pleasing.

February began with a close Razorbill off Cobo beach which immediately swam further out as soon as I approached with the camera. On 4th February I realised that I was missing many passerine species for my patch year list, so I went into the woods at Le Guet to tick the off. I quickly saw the expected species including Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Short-toed Treecreeper and Firecrest and continued for a wander. As I approached the southern edge of the pines I saw something flitting high in a pine above me, which I thought was most likely a crest. When I got my bins on it, all I could pick out was very white underparts and a pale spiky bill. I thought maybe a Sibe Chiff from the white-ness, but it was difficult to see. After a couple of more brief sightings I thought that it was maybe actually a Yellow-browed but I couldn’t quite clinch it before it disappeared.

I stayed around for a bit but there was no sign, until finally I heard some calling from a garden across the road. It was definitely a Yellow-browed Warbler from the call but it gave it repeatedly and pretty fast, much more so than I usually hear (recording below). Pleased with an excellent winter find, especially on my patch, it was still frustratingly invisible. Eventually though I saw it flycatching from the top of a small tree, then followed it as it skulked through an evergreen hedge, where I managed a few quick shots. I didn’t expect that when I set out, still rare in winter, I think this is just the second winter record for Guernsey after the long-stayer at Marais Nord in 2012.

Later that day I saw a Great Crested Grebe off Rousse - like hen’s teeth these days. The next day there was again 28 Skylarks at Les Tielles and on the way home from work on 8th February I went to see a Black-throated Diver that had been discovered off Rousse. A real #PatchGold moment before work on 13th when the wintering flock of Canada Geese flew over SW, no doubt moving from Vale Pond down to L’Eree. After 20 years of birding this stretch of coast this was my first record of this honker ever!

The rest of February was mainly involved with picking up some uncommon birds for the patch year list, including 3 Teals on Pulias Pond, a Kingfisher perching over the reedy pond at Rousse and a first-winter Common Gull on Cobo beach on 20th. Another Common Gull, an adult, was out to sea off Rousse on 21st and Teals increased to four. Despite driving plenty after dark I still rarely see owls so it was nice to see a Barn Owl perched in a tree along Route de la Palloterie on 20th, unfortunately just outside my new “weekend patch” which stretches from Pleinmont to Prevote along the south coast.

MedITERRANEAN Gull - GRANDES HAVRES, 14 Feb 23 - unfortunately I didn’t have time to get my scope to read the ring, but wayne tells me that red-ringed birdsa are generally from colonies in eastern Europe. There has been many more Med Gulls than usual wintering on the island this year.

Goose Barnacles - VazON, 20 Feb 23 - although goose barnacles are not an uncommon site of flotsum, i have never seen anything with this many. There must be thousands of them there which means this has probably been floating a long time.

VERY LOW TIDE AT VazON, 20 Feb 23 - it was extremely low tide so I walked right out to the limit of where the sea ever retreats to

Cattle Egrets with Herring Gulls - nEAr the Airport, 21 Feb 23

Kittiwake wing - Pulias, 21 Jan 23 - the winter storms taking their toll

During the break from work I managed to take a few “stacks” of a few specimens - a few of the better ones below.

Just A Bird

Just A Bird

Mark Lawlor's Nature Blog

Just A Bird

Just A Bird