As usual with March, we eagerly await the arrival of the first spring migrants to our shores and first this year was the Sand Martin, with one seen at St Ouens Pond on the 3rd.
Wheatear duly followed on the 11th, Swallow on the 12th, Willow Warbler on the 22nd then House Martin finally arrived on the 24th. All arriving slightly earlier than usual.
Other early migrants were a Black-tailed Godwit on the 7th, a Little Ringed Plover on the 10th, a Ring Ouzel on the 20th and the Blue-headed form of Yellow Wagtail on the 21st all roughly eight to ten days earlier than usual and presumably brought up on the south-westerly winds originating in sub-Saharan Africa.
Those winds brought with it a huge influx of Hoopoes into the southwest UK and we were lucky enough to get two here, with on in St Brelade on the 24th and another near Rozel on the 26th.
The undoubted highlight of March and likely for the rest of 2025 was the arrival of an Alpine Accentor at Corbiere on the 23rd, the first for Jersey and only second ever for the Channel Islands.
Fortunately, it stayed put until the 25th allowing many to see this beautiful bird, usually only found in the high altitudes of the Alps or the Pyrenees.
On to April and we await the second wave of spring migrants to arrive, will they be early or late?
Photo – Alpine Accentor
Credit Romano da Costa
