Mark Lawlor's Nature Blog

I had a few hours spare on 4th March so I went for a look at a few bays, not really expecting to see anything at this quiet time of year. I called in at Perelle to look at the flock of Med Gulls that had built up, which is unusual in winter, and I saw about 30 of them on the beach. Whilst there, the bird alert went off that two large birds, probably Cranes, were circling over the centre of the island, drifting west. I thought about my options - whether I would see them from Perelle, or whether I should go to where they were last seen. I generally pick the wrong option with mobile birds (eg, the White-tailed Eagle debacle) so I chose option 3 - they would definitely be seen at L’Eree.

So I drove down to the Shingle Bank and scanned eastwards to try and intercept the birds. I was beginning to think I had missed them when suddenly they appeared over my head flying back eastwards - two superb, gangly Cranes. I suspect the stiff breeze had quickly sent them out over the sea and they didn’t fancy an afternoon crossing of the Channel, so they headed back to the island.

Cranes - heading eastwards over L’Eree, 4 Mar 23

They were then seen at various spots in the centre of the island and then along the west coast again, so I thought of a cunning plan. They are so mobile and so large, I bet I could get them on my patch list by just waiting and scanning, so long as I was patient enough. So, after I heard they’d been seen at Cobo, I got myself to Rousse and started scanning the far south-west. However, I was looking too far away, as Kevin suddenly appeared behind me, and pointed higher up where he’d spotted the pair of Cranes were gliding towards us. We watched them for a while circle over Grandes Havres before they drifted off again back westwards.

Med Gulls - Perelle, 4 Mar 23 - 30 birds in this picture - much more than usual wintered this year

The rest of March was pretty quiet and probably the worst year I can remember for March summer migrants. I saw my first 2 Wheatears at Pulias on 17th, and then just a handful afterwards. There were only a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps to see on the patch and a couple of Black Redstarts were probably moving through. I saw NO hirundines in March at all - probably the first time ever. So, apart from the Cranes is was a very poor month for birding.

Wheatear - Pulias, 17 Mar 23 - the obligatory first wHEATEAR photograph

Scandinavian Rock Pipit - beach near Claire Mare, 12 Mar 23

Linnets - Rousse, 2 Mar 23 - Linnets are one of the first “summer” migrants to arrive back on patch and this was my first flock of the year. One of them had a partially-white face.

Cliff Mining-bee - Pleinmont, 18 Mar 23 - this day was one of the few sunny days and at pleinmont, in the sunny spots, lots of species of bee were feeding on celandines.

Probably male Yellow-legged Mining-bee - Pleinmont, 18 Mar 23

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.