by Alderney Bird Warden | Mar 16, 2023
Recording migration on a small island is often about finding the location that arriving migrants have favoured, weather, habitat type and disturbance all play important roles, but good sites are usually somewhere simply offering shelter, and/or the opportunity to rest and feed.
Having checked most of the likely sites this morning for freshly arrived migrants and seen very little, our fortunes changed as we came across one single field on the west coast where it was all going on, hosting 32 Wheatears, 2 Black Redstarts, 10 Stonechats, and for good measure 2 Sand Martins overhead. One of the Wheatears was wearing a red colour-ring very possibly part of research being undertaken by The Calf Of Man bird observatory.
Photo (JH) one of this morning’s Wheatears.
by Alderney Bird Warden | Mar 15, 2023
Today our new ‘highflyer’ mist-netting system was deployed, a method of gathering data with a proven track record evidenced by some other bird observatories and numerous ornithological researchers across Europe and in particular Scandinavia.
This will certainly be a great asset assisting us in monitoring bird migration through Alderney. A few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps moving this morning, departing Brent Geese and arriving Lesser black-backed Gulls, a single Wheatear and a locally scarce spring record of Reed Bunting the other migrants of note. Finally, at an undisclosed location, a male Zitting Cisticola displaying.
Photo, the highflyer nets
by Alderney Bird Warden | Mar 12, 2023
Not a bumper day in terms of anticipated migrants but still some interesting records. A few Chiffchaffs and Firecrests present but these are likely over-wintering birds.
In the census area a Matt and I were delighted to see a Goshawk, other species passing through included Brent Goose and Black Redstart, numbers of Meadow Pipits and Wood Pigeons increased along with returning Lesser black backed Gulls.
The long staying Cattle Egrets are still present.
Image by Matt Scragg, Early Thorn in this morning’s moth trap.
by Alderney Bird Warden | Mar 2, 2023
A stunning Snow Bunting on the southwest facing headland this afternoon. The first record of this species in Alderney was in 1863. According to local dog walkers the one we encountered has been around for at least a couple of days.
Photo (JH).
by Alderney Bird Warden | Feb 21, 2023
32 moths from 9 species in the ABO trap this morning, didn’t expect so many after a cold February night.
Pics here (JH) Oak Nycteoline, Dark fruit Tree Tortrix & Acleris hastiana.
