September 2025

Whinchat - Parcq Lane, Vale, 28 Sep 25

The most notable event of a very quiet month for birding was a big dip on Guernsey’s first-ever Black-winged Kite. As soon as I got the message I jumped in the car, but I was there ten minutes after it was last seen. Even if I had got there just in time, the bird would have been over a mile away! I am pretty sure we’ll get another however, hopefully soonish.

The first week of the month was busy for me and so I only saw a handful of migrants on the patch, such as Yellow Wagtail and Common Sandpiper, but after work on Friday 12th September I called in to the new pond at Rue des Bergers to see a young Glossy Ibis feeding in the shallows. There had been up to 4 on the golf course ponds during the week.

Glossy ibis - Grande Mare, 12 Sep 25

Glossy ibis - Grande Mare, 12 Sep 25

The odd migrant was picked up during the next few weeks, but it was pretty thin gruel. A Barn Owl flying through the garden after dark on 12th was the most interesting sighting, together with a flock of 4 Teals on the sea at Vazon on 23rd. Driving back from a weekend walk with Aidan on 28th, in the middle of a sunny afternoon, I picked up a flappy bird low over L’Ancresse Common, just behind the ice cream van. Despite the many people wandering around, the bird dropped into a bramble bush, and it turned out to be a superb Short-eared Owl. I managed a quick snap before it took flight, heading off north again pursued by crows. A most unexpected sighting.

Short-eared Owl - L’Ancresse, 28 Sep 25

Short-eared Owl - L’Ancresse, 28 Sep 25

Short-eared Owl - L’Ancresse, 28 Sep 25

Short-eared Owl - L’Ancresse, 28 Sep 25

Spotted Flycatcher - Fort Hommet, 19 Sep 25

Moth trapping was quite underwhelming on the four nights I set up the trap in September. However, I suppose it’s the rule of diminishing returns, because I did trap some moths which would have been superb just a few years ago. Some highlights were Small Marbled on 5th, Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Vestal and a late Yellow-tail on 19th, Chestnut and a small-version of Large Wainscot on 26th, and a Radford’s Flame Shoulder, 2 Vestals, 3 Blair’s Mocha and a Merveille du Jour on 27th. A moth trap visitor on 19th was German Wasp, the first one I have identified.

Another hymenopteran visitor to the garden was a single Asian Hornet seen on two different days, attracted to some sticky stuff emerging from the Cypress cones. Despite the species ‘invading’ the island, this was the first I have ever seen, which may mean the nest-finders/destroyers are doing a good job keeping them at bay. A few weeks after my sightings, a nest was removed from a tree in a lane only about 500m from the house, so it probably came from there.

Asian Hornet - Garden, 18 Sep 25

There was obviously some sort of minor influx of insects on 19th as I saw a Clouded Yellow feeding by the top car park at Pulias, and a darter by the pond there turned out to be a Red-veined Darter. I have finally managed to see this species after many years of looking for one. I was determined not to “twitch” any and was hoping to bump into one myself after quite a few close probables seen on the south cliffs at various times. This one though sat up on a stem and posed nicely, showing its bi-coloured blue and red eyes. My 6th new dragonfly species of the summer.

Red-veined Darter - Pulias, 19 Sep 25

Clouded Yellow - Pulias, 19 Sep 25

Clouded Yellow - Pulias, 19 Sep 25