November started as October ended, busy with migrant birds on the back of north and north-east winds but this soon ended in favour of an unseasonal prolonged period of mild weather and winds predominantly from the south. The past two years has seen the ABO record huge numbers of migrant thrushes and finches and this service was resumed 16th-18th with winds from the east.
A Great Northern Diver passed Chateau L’etoc on the 10th. One Little Grebe remains on Longis pond. A single dark bellied Brent Gosse was present in Braye Bay on the 2nd and a Shelduck in Longis bay on the 1st. A Teal was present on Longis pond until the 6th and 2 more were on the waterworks quarry on the 18th. The Rough-legged Buzzard was last seen on the 6th having settled along the NE coastline it was seen several times perched on fort Houme Herbe (Photo below of the bird hovering, an identification feature of this species).
Rough-legged Buzzard, Houme Herbe- photo – David Child
3 Grey Plovers are frequenting various bays this month and 12 Dunlin were in Braye Bay on the 6th. Reports of Woodcock began early in the month and 3 were seen at Rose farm on the 16th, 3 at Mannez quarry on the 17th. Late moving migrant waders included a Bar-tailed Godwit at Longis bay on the 9th and a Whimbrel over Longis common on the 6th. The Clonque bay wader roost accommodated 38 Curlew and 92 Oysercatcher on the 2nd. Some 46 Mediterranean Gull passed chateau l’etoc on the 10th and a Little Gull was spotted from the same location on the 18th. An adult yellow-legged Gull was present with Herring Gulls at Clonque Bay on the 4th.
Yellow-legged Gull – Clonque Bay – photo – JH.
17 Kittiwake and 119 Razorbills were counted off chateau l’etoc on the 10th, a single Sandwich Tern seen here on the 12th. A Woodlark passed over mannez quarry on the 5th. Very late Swallow records were of 2 birds over Longis pond on the 1st and another over the golf course on the 6th. Black Redstart was seen in Braye harbour on the 4th and at the Corblet’s bay car park on the 18th.
Black Redstart – Corblets Bay – photo – JH
2 Mistle Thrush were seen during the ABO daily census on the 3rd and another was on the golf course on the 8th. Cetti’s Warblers remain at both Mannez and Longis reserves and look to be wintering. A Dartford warbler showed well at the Zigzag on the 2nd, a very late record and unusual sight was of a Garden Warbler feeding on a fallen apple at Rose farm on the 18th. A Yellow-browed Warbler was at Essex farm on the 3rd. Chaffinches have been migrating through in good numbers, a single grounded flock of over 150 birds were present at Rose farm on the 5th, reports of Brambling and Siskin have been sporadic in comparison to the same period last year. The Greenfinch flock often seen around Whitegates fields were counted as 116 birds on the 14th. A very good year for us here for Reed Bunting continued with 8 birds ringed at Longis pond on the 2nd.
Lastly, the mild weather into November produced records of 6 species of butterfly and on the 2nd a Hummingbird Hawkmoth.