Mark Lawlor's Nature Blog

The first opportunity for proper birding was on 12th October when I went to look for migrants at Pleinmont. It was nicely busy up there, with my first Redwings of the winter and double-figures of Skylarks. Over 50 hirundines fed over the headland and there were plenty of Chiffchaffs, Firecrests and Blackcaps in the valleys. The best bird of the morning was seen whilst overlooking Vau de Monel from the top path, when a superb Hobby came in and hung in the air above the trees. It was a fine juvenile bird and unlike most Hobbies, it didn’t just shoot through, but took its time and so i was able to take a few snaps.

On 13th I discovered the first Great Northern Diver of the season swimming at Vazon. Whilst watching this, I noticed a large passerine coming in off the sea, which flew right past me and dumped down on a weed just over the sea wall. It was a nice Fieldfare, obviously a bit knackered after crossing the Channel - “migration in action”.

The next day, after work, down at the Richmond end of Vazon, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits fed above the ebbing tide, and with them was an Oystercatcher which stood out from the rest. The main thing was that it had a very brown back which stood out from a very black head and neck. Sometimes black birds’ feathers can get very worn and become paler, or ‘bleached’, but it didn’t seem that was the case here. The mantle feathers appeared in good nick and why the sudden contrast with the foreparts? Structurally it seemed a bit off, with a large, pointy body, a small head and a longish bill compared to the nearby Oycs. I managed a few poor shots before it flew round the corner.

Reading up on Oystercatchers when I got home, this bird had many features of “Siberian” Oystercatcher, race longipes. However, there’s not much definite ID information available on this sub-species and, to be sure, you need to get a good look at the length of the nasal groove! But nevertheless, there have a been a couple of claims in the UK (eg here) so it stands a chance.

Possible Siberian Oystercatcher - Vazon, 14 Oct 25

The only other notable birding event of the month was a seawatch from Jaonneuse on 26th October. There wasn’t a massive passage but there were a few items of interest including my only skuas of the year so far, single Arctic and Great Skuas. The best birds were the 15 or so Sooty Shearwaters that passed by, with a few being pretty close, including the one I managed to film below, where the silvery underwing patch is picked up by the camera.

There was one suitable opportunity for moth-trapping in the garden, with decent conditions on the night of 10th October. This resulted in a new species for me - Old World Webworm (Hellula undalis). This is a southern European species which is becoming much more regular in the north with the increased warm autumn winds. Other decent species recorded were Golden Twin-spot, H. glaucinalis, Barred Red, 2 Blair’s Mocha, a Red-line Quaker and 6 Spiny Hook-tips.

The most notable event of a very quiet month for birding was a big dip on Guernsey’s first-ever Black-winged Kite. As soon as I got the message I jumped in the car, but I was there ten minutes after it was last seen. Even if I had got there just in time, the bird would have been over a mile away! I am pretty sure we’ll get another however, hopefully soonish.

The first week of the month was busy for me and so I only saw a handful of migrants on the patch, such as Yellow Wagtail and Common Sandpiper, but after work on Friday 12th September I called in to the new pond at Rue des Bergers to see a young Glossy Ibis feeding in the shallows. There had been up to 4 on the golf course ponds during the week.

The odd migrant was picked up during the next few weeks, but it was pretty thin gruel. A Barn Owl flying through the garden after dark on 12th was the most interesting sighting, together with a flock of 4 Teals on the sea at Vazon on 23rd. Driving back from a weekend walk with Aidan on 28th, in the middle of a sunny afternoon, I picked up a flappy bird low over L’Ancresse Common, just behind the ice cream van. Despite the many people wandering around, the bird dropped into a bramble bush, and it turned out to be a superb Short-eared Owl. I managed a quick snap before it took flight, heading off north again pursued by crows. A most unexpected sighting.

Spotted Flycatcher - Fort Hommet, 19 Sep 25

Moth trapping was quite underwhelming on the four nights I set up the trap in September. However, I suppose it’s the rule of diminishing returns, because I did trap some moths which would have been superb just a few years ago. Some highlights were Small Marbled on 5th, Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Vestal and a late Yellow-tail on 19th, Chestnut and a small-version of Large Wainscot on 26th, and a Radford’s Flame Shoulder, 2 Vestals, 3 Blair’s Mocha and a Merveille du Jour on 27th. A moth trap visitor on 19th was German Wasp, the first one I have identified.

Another hymenopteran visitor to the garden was a single Asian Hornet seen on two different days, attracted to some sticky stuff emerging from the Cypress cones. Despite the species ‘invading’ the island, this was the first I have ever seen, which may mean the nest-finders/destroyers are doing a good job keeping them at bay. A few weeks after my sightings, a nest was removed from a tree in a lane only about 500m from the house, so it probably came from there.

There was obviously some sort of minor influx of insects on 19th as I saw a Clouded Yellow feeding by the top car park at Pulias, and a darter by the pond there turned out to be a Red-veined Darter. I have finally managed to see this species after many years of looking for one. I was determined not to “twitch” any and was hoping to bump into one myself after quite a few close probables seen on the south cliffs at various times. This one though sat up on a stem and posed nicely, showing its bi-coloured blue and red eyes. My 6th new dragonfly species of the summer.

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Mark Lawlor's Nature Blog

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October 2025

September 2025

Just A Bird