Photo- Red-backed Shrike
Photo- Caspian Gull
August is a good time of year in the bird world as migration gets underway in earnest.
Early in the month we have the continuation of seabird movements with large numbers of Balearic Shearwaters again being counted off our west coast alongside good numbers of Manx Shearwaters and a single Sooty Shearwater on the 19th. Large Gulls were passing through in numbers, Lesser Black-backed were the most numerous as they head south to Morocco and Portugal for the winter but Yellow-legged Gulls have been much lower in numbers this autumn compared to the previous couple of years and the first Caspian Gull of the autumn was seen at Petit Port on the 2nd, a rare but increasing species as their population moves westward through Europe.
On the ground, passerine migrants have been slow to get going and we had to wait until the third week of the month before any real movement started. Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher and Swallow have all started passing through, with the first Wryneck being seen at Les Landes on the 22nd, only a day later than the first of 2023. These cryptically camouflaged birds are always sort after during autumn but never easy to find.
The best birds of the month have to go to the two Red-backed Shrikes that turned up. The first was seen at Corbiere on the morning of the 12th, a very foggy day which brought it down to the island, while a second spent the 14th and 15th at Noirmont feeding along the edge of a horse paddock, much to the delight of the many observers that got to see it. Red-backed Shrikes are surprisingly rare here with only two previous island records since the turn of the century!
On the 23rd volunteer work was carried out on the Scrape at St Ouen’s Pond by the National Trust, Ornithology section members and local photographers to help enhance the area for migrant birds, especially the waders which should be passing through in good numbers now. This a continuation of previous years work to keep the scrape as attractive to birds as possible.
The big news for August is the fact the 2023 Jersey Bird Report went on sale, priced at £9 (Société members receive their discount) it is full of useful information and some great photographs all relating to the birds seen during 2023, so please make sure to grab yourself a copy from the Société shop or Costa Electrics in New Street.
