Bird Sightings
A busy week for the Ringing Course
- Alderney Bird Warden
A busy week with visiting ringers attending a training assessment course. Easterly wind has dominated the weather forecast but there have been plenty of training opportunities with the birds throughout the week.
Sightings from this week include Swift, Whinchat, Subalpine Warbler and Nightingale within the census area and, a now rare sighting of a Turtle Dove, reported by Alex Purdie, near the signalling tower behind the airport this afternoon.
Some of the ringing group engaged in discussions © Eleanor Evetts
Busier bird migration and increased insect diversity
- Alderney Bird Warden
There has been an easterly influence in the wind over the last couple of days giving clear blue skies. The first week of April has been a little busier with migrating birds and insect diversity has also started to increase.
A few firsts for the spring on Alderney this week are Tree Pipit, first seen at Houmet Herbe, Ring Ouzel, on Kiln Farm today and a Black Kite, which was seen going west from Kiln Farm but not relocated.
Blue-headed Wagtail (Motacilla flava flava) with the ponies at Whitegates © Charlotte Foote
A quiet day with two unusual species
- Alderney Bird Warden
A quieter day today but there were a couple of species that are not frequently seen on Alderney. An adult male European Serin was first seen on Longis mid-morning, then at Corbletts before he headed west and was seen again at the Peace Garden. Early afternoon a White Stork was seen circling and gaining height over Victoria Street and then heading off southeast towards France.
European Serin © C Foote
First Redstart of the year
- Alderney Bird Warden
The first day of notable spring migration yesterday, with 368 Sand Martin on vismig going north over Alderney. This morning an increase in grounded migrants, with 8 Redwing and 7 Fieldfare early morning. During the morning there were Willow Warbler and Blackcap throughout the recording area, joined by the first Redstart for Alderney this spring.
Redstart © Charlotte Foote
