18th, Swifts are still moving through here 4 reported today.
19th, Further movements of Swifts with a flock of 8 seen over The Odeon. Also a male Greenland Wheatear was on Longis common.
On the 21st a Great White Egret obligingly came in off the sea right in front of the 13 strong visiting Naturetrek group. The bird headed across Longis common landing on the pond where Naturetrek guest Anthony Warrilow got this cracking photo. Soon after we observed 7 Grey Herons in off the sea and caught up with the same group later in the day roosting in Clonque Bay. In the evening there were 5 Black-headed Gulls on Braye Beach, probably returning failed or non breeding birds. David Child had a Bar-tailed Godwit in Arch Bay
Great White Egret – Longis Pond – photo – Anthony Warrilow
On the 22nd Paul and Catherine Veron had a Lapwing over Barrackmasters Lane and probably the same bird was seen by the Naturetrek group in Longis Bay. Having dropped off the tour group at the airport I had great views of a Hobby over Braye common, possibly the same bird was seen by David Childs over Telegraph an hour earlier.
23rd – A Tufted Duck, (a rare visitor for us, just 1 or 2 records most years) was spotted on Corbletts Quarry by David Child.
At end the month on the 30th more Swifts were reported from across the island all heading NE and a recently fledged Black Redstart turned up at the bird observatory, the broad Roman walls surrounding the Nunnery seem to be a magnet for this species. Other highlights this week have been the belated coming of Hummingbird Hawkmoths that for the last few days have appeared in good numbers, a great place to see them is around the patches of Vipers Bugloss at Fort Albert.