June 2022

Woodpigeon - garden, 23 Jun 22

June was mainly focused on getting back into insects again, with the warm weekend of 16th and 17th being excellent in the moth trap. I had a minimum of 137 different species over the two nights which is a very high total for so early in the season. This was due to unseasonally high temperatures in nearby France with a southerly breeze bringing the warm air to Guernsey. The highlight of the first night was the Dingy Shell which I only noticed afterwards perched on the vine leaves, the first record in the garden and only my second ever. The second night was even better because, as well as a nice selection of scarce species, I had a cracker of a first for Guernsey - a Scarce Silver-lines, and unmistakable, bright green species.

Dingy Shell - GARDEN, 16 Jun 22

Scarce Silver-lines - GARDEN, 17 Jun 22

Scarce Silver-lines - GARDEN, 17 Jun 22

Goat Moth - garden, 18 Jun 22

I didn’t manage many long nature forays but I found a few new species here and there. Armed with my new caterpillar ID guide, I eventually managed to ID a few larvae, including this unusual Chinese Character on a Blackthorn leaf at Pleinmont. Most of the critters I collected have not yet been identified but I did twitch a rare plant at L’Ancresse - Viper’s-grass. Rather than an actual grass, this is a clump of a yellow flower with long narrow leaves which grows on just one spot in Guernsey, and is exceptionally rare in the UK apparently.

Chinese Character larva - Pleinmont, 4 Jun 22

Knot grass larva - Cobo, 23 Jun 22

Viper's-grass - L'Ancresse, 8 Jun 22

The most exciting bird encounter was watching a couple of newly-fledged Peregrines taking one of their first flights. (I won’t say the location for obvious reasons). They were screaming and squealing so loud with one of their parents looking on. They sometimes flew past me so close and fast, often just a couple of feet off the ground. Superb stuff.

Juvenile Peregrines - 20 Jun 22

Juvenile Peregrines - 20 Jun 22

Juvenile Peregrines - 20 Jun 22

adult Peregrine - 20 Jun 22

Emperor Dragonfly - Grand Pre, 12 Jun 22

Common Darter - Grand Pre Orchard, 12 Jun 22

Common Darter - Grand Pre Orchard, 12 Jun 22

A huge Sea Kale plant - Portinfer, 24 Jun 22

May 2022 pt ii

The final three weeks of May did not produce the goods bird-wise. No late rarity was reported at all - not even one I could have dipped on. I saw a few bits and bats on the 15th on my island-round tours. A very late Skylark was at Mont Herault with a Yellow Wagtail, and a few Manx Shearwaters were lingering out at sea off Rousse. On 20th a group of 4 Bar-tailed Godwits was at Vazon and the next day a Garden Warbler was invisibly singing at Grand Pre. The Merlin bird song identification app was very useful here. Garden Warbler song is usually one which I suspect and then shrug and then walk away, due to my poor song recognition skills. But pointing the phone at the singing bird can now confirm if I have a likely candidate.

As the weather was sunny and bright for most of this time, the insects were out and most of this post consists of minibeast photos. On about 16th May it looked like we might have a big influx of Painted Ladies and I have about 20 feeding on the Sea Radish at Fort Hommet in the early morning. It didn’t last though and numbers fell away again.

Painted Lady - Fort Hommet, 16 May 22

Little Egret - Pulias, 21 May 22

Volucella bombylans - Pleinmont, 22 May 22

tower of aphids - garden, 22 May 22

Viridicerus ustulatus - Ivy Castle, 28 May 22 - a new Leafhopper species for Guernsey

Wasp Beetle - Jerbourg, 30 May 22

ADELA CROESELLA - Jerbourg, 30 May 22

Volucella bombylans - Jerbourg, 30 May 22

greenbottle sp. - Jerbourg, 30 May 22

Chrysotoxum festivum - Jerbourg, 30 May 22

Greylag - Rue des Bergers, 9 May 22

Mallard chicks - Rue des Bergers, 9 May 22

Loose-flowered Orchid - LBHS, 16 May 22

Masses of Celery-leaved Buttercup - Grand Pre, 21 May 22

I reckon I could undercut this guy