Guernsey Birders Wayne Turner and Mark Guppy have spent the last 3 days birding Alderney dawn to dusk.
Thanks both for contributing a hatful of records nicely complementing this weeks visiting bird ringers.
Despite being a migration hotspot, Alderney boasts precious few local birders and so contributions from visitors and guests provide valuable data each year.
Photo of a Serin provided by Wayne Turner, seen this week.
Occasionally we see partially albino birds, they tend to stand out and you might think them more susceptible to predators but this Willow Warbler sporting a white alula feather and 4th primary feathers amongst others was in fine fettle and a very good weight. This morning’s fall was predominantly Blackcaps and Whitethroats, 123 birds ringed also included 2 Common Redstarts, 2 Wheatears and 5 Garden Warblers. ( photo JH).
A busy day in the field today with visiting bird ringers from Kent and Suffolk along with birders over from Guernsey all contributing to recording another broad spread of spring migrants. Over 170 birds (from 16 species ) ringed included 2 Ring Ouzels, 2 Common Redstarts, 3 Tree Pipits, Pied Flycatcher, Wheatear, 2 Garden Warblers and 31 Whitethroats. Visual migration included 3 Cuckoo’s, 3 Pied Flycatchers, 5 Common Redstarts, 10 Tree Pipits, Hobby, Swift and 2 Whinchats amongst a fair fall of more common warbler species and hirundines. Photo: our visiting ringers this afternoon,
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A keenly contested 2023 Alderney Bird Race could hardly have been closer, this year won by last year’s winners from Guernsey ‘The Spice Invaders’ who recorded 76 Species, the ABO team were runner’s up, pipped to the post by just ‘one’ – recording 75 species!
Between those taking part this year 85 species were recorded across the island and this is a new record for the most species of birds ever recorded in Alderney in a single day (beating 82 recorded during the 2021 bird race).
So, congrats to the Guernsey birdwatchers who retain the converted ‘Alderney Puffin’ trophy presented to them this morning by ABO committee member Hilary Partridge at the bird observatory (see photo).
Highlights in no particular order were a pair of Serins, at least 3 Cuckoo’s, Merlin, Arctic Skua, our first Whichats and Spotted Flycatcher of the year, also Ring Ouzel, Grasshopper Warbler and Tree Pipit. Also yesterday 161 birds were ringed in a little over two hours at Essex Farm, these mostly Willow Warblers.
This morning our first Garden Warbler of the 2023 campaign was one of 131 birds ringed, this total included 4 Tree Pipits and a Grasshopper Warbler.
Birds of prey were prominent today as Osprey, Hen Harrier, Merlin and Goshawk (the latter species angrily mobbed by a pair of Sparrowhawks) were all spotted, also today Pied Flycatcher and at least 5 Ring Ouzels.
Belated news our first Common Swift of 2023 was seen yesterday.
Photo (Matt Scragg) this morning’s Garden Warbler.