3 January – 2022 Bird List

Starting my bird list for 2022 was the best reason to get out and about around the island which is exactly what I did on New Year’s Day. I ended up with a respectable 42 species.

Best sight of the day were thirteen Fulmar at Petit Bôt. There is a small breeding colony in the cliff. They are one of the earliest, if not the earliest, breeding species to return to Guernsey and will have been present since December. As it was a birdwatching day, I didn’t have my camera. I returned yesterday with the large lens carefully strapped over my shoulder and I gingerly negotiated the pebbles at the top of the beach. I felt really pleased that I’d left it until later in the day with the tide well down and the sun further west to give better light. There was not a single bird present – exremely annoying as I live about as far from the bay as you can get.

The perfect photo will have to wait for another day. The less-than-perfect one at the top of this blog is a bit of a cheat – my photo but it’s from April 2017 when the Fulmars were distracting me from flagging ant nests above Creux Mahie. All the photos in this blog are a bit of a cheat as they were taken in previous years

Today was unremittingly grey and wet. I tell myself there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. So after lunch I put on my waterproofs and headed off to the Shingle Bank – pretty useless at first as the tide was right out. I enjoyed the Teal and two Marsh Harriers nearby and walked through the lanes to Perelle. A small flock of Brent Geese were on the far side of the bay.

I was stopped in my tracks along La Rue des Bordes where there is some land owned by the Guernsey National Trust. A Song Thrush was doing its best to liven up a very glum day. Practising rather than in full voice but it was wonderful to hear. I’m shocked to discover that I don’t have a single photo of a Song Thrush, but did catch one on the trail camera a few weeks ago showing off its ‘how to catch a worm’ technique.

The Shingle Bank came good on the way back as the tide was coming in: a flock of about 30 Ringed Plover showing off their aerial manoeuvres which were very impressive. There were a few Dunlin mixed in with them but they were content to remain at the water’s edge while the Ringed Plovers strutted their stuff.

All in all, a very enjoyable afternoon. I now need to get over my dislike of windy days!