January 2022

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After the whole last year of staring out from Rousse and seeing practically nothing in the bay, 2022 quickly yielded a few scarce sightings, with a Slavonian Grebe swimming off there on 3rd January and two Black-throated Divers on 7th, along with a regular Great Northern. Wader-wise there was a Purple Sandpiper with the Turnstones at Jaonneuse on 4th and a wintering Common Sandpiper at Cobo on 9th. A single Pochard was a visitor to the increasingly-difficult to visit Grande Mare lake on the same day. I drove past a few Cattle Egrets at Kings Mills a couple of times, peaking at 9 birds on 16th. The only other notable January sighting in Guernsey was a male Teal sat on Pulias Pond in the rain on 27th. So a nice selection but another winter month with nothing rare appearing.

Common Sandpiper - Cobo, 9 Jan 22

Cattle Egrets - King’s Mills, 16 Jan 22

I made a brief visit to Yorkshire late in the month and had a few hours spare on 23rd January to drive round a couple of spots. The main species that had been seen in East Yorkshire during the previous couple of weeks was a male Baikal Teal and I was keen to catch up with it. However, it had been a little elusive and irregular, moving between locations and going missing for a few days at a time. Luckily, I had the BUBO lads on stand by to text me if there was any news.

I first went to Hornsea Mere, which I hadn’t been to for 20-odd years. It was a little dull there but I was astounded to see so many Goldeneye. There was plenty of other wildfowl there but I couldn’t see anything rare, especially because the birds were constantly being flushed by fishing boats.

Hornsea Mere

I then drove to Tophill Low because the Baikal had sometimes arrived here to rest in the afternoon and it was now getting a bit late in the day so I thought it was my best chance. Just as I was driving into the car park, I received texts from Andy and Ian to say the bird had just flown in! Great news, and I dashed up towards the hide, passing a selection of birders who had just been watching it. However, entering the elevated hide overlooking the ‘D’ reservoir, there was just one guy looking with his ‘scope (who hadn’t seen it yet) and me with just my bins, trying to scan a huge, spread out flock of ducks on the lake. Apparently the bird was in the furthest corner and so it was impossible for me to see it and I had to rely on others picking it out. A few more ‘scopes arrived and I had to just wait for them to find it. I wanted to just grab one of their ‘scopes! However, it was going to be still there and I just needed to be patient. I scanned the rest of the closer ducks which included a pair of Red-crested Pochard and quite a lot more Goldeneye.

After what seemed an age, one of the guys finally located the bird and it was not quite as far out as it was initially. Following instructions, I could even make out which bird it was through my bins and, even though it looked pretty dark from this distance, I could just make out a white vertical stripe near the rear end of the flanks and a slightly paler face through the gloom. Of course, as people are kind, some guy offered me a look in his scope before it disappeared. I only had a quick look but it soon showed off its distinct face-pattern which is quite unlike any other duck. BAIKAL TEAL is a new species for me and makes number 406 for my British* List. Not exactly the best views of a new bird but I was grateful for any views at all.

Part of the duck flock at Tophill Low - its (probably) in there somewhere!

(Link below is a video by P Kinsella that I found on Youtube of the bird, which could even have been taken at the same day as I saw it )

Review of 2021

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REVIEW OF THE YEAR

1) STATS

2021 was very hard work bird-wise, with very few good rarities to go twitch locally. Looking at the list of rare birds below it was a pretty ordinary selection and there was not one rare bird I saw that I raced to see. Luckily, I had one of my best years for finding my own stuff with four island rarities located, of course peaking early with the Bonaparte’s Gull at L’Eree - it was about time that I found another first for Guernsey! The best twitches were the two birds I saw in the UK which superbly played ball - the Black-browed Albatross and the White-tailed Plover. After a blank two years on the “patch” list, it was good to get three new species, although the kite was a little bit of a stretch to be counted as a patch bird. The moth trap was put out a little irregularly and wasn’t too productive but the Lesser Puss Moth was a real beauty.

Top three birding moments for 2021 :

A) the buzz of finding a proper, first class rarity in February during the misery of lockdown - Bonaparte’s Gull.

B) timing my summer visit to Yorkshire to coincide with the Black-browed Albatross returning to the Bempton cliffs - I never thought I’d ever see an albatross.

C) watching the breeding Short-eared Owls on the south cliffs - totally unexpected and ridiculously close views.

The non-birding highlights were the baking hot trip to Herm Common with the entomologists and finding thousands of insects enjoying the sun, including my first-ever Six-belted Clearwing, followed by the Swallowtail butterfly I found at Pleinmont.

1 new bird for the World List - Black-browed Albatross - now on 802.

2 new birds for Britain (inc. C.Is.) - Black-browed Albatross, White-tailed Plover - now on 405.

1 new bird for Guernsey - Bonaparte’s Gull - now on 269.

1 new 'self-found' bird - Bonaparte’s Gull - now on 277.

2 new garden birds (in or from) - Barn Owl, Brambling - now on 96.

2021 Guernsey year list total - 145 .

Official local rarities found - 4 - Bonaparte’s Gull, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-backed Shrike, Short-toed Lark.

Official local rare species seen - 12 - Mute Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Great White Egret, White Stork, Red Kite, Black-winged Stilt, Bonaparte’s Gull, Caspian Gull, Short-toed Lark, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-backed Shrike. 

End-of-year British Pan-species list - 2882, (new species during year - 42).

End-of-year Guernsey Pan-species list - 2408, (new species during year - 40).

Garden moth list - 667

New Lepidoptera in garden - 3 - Ringed Border, Lesser Puss Moth (Feline), Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing.

New Lepidoptera in Guernsey - 5 - Ringed Border, Lesser Puss Moth (Feline), Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing, Chionodes distinctella, Six-belted Clearwing.

3 new Hommet to Rousse 'patch' birds - Mute Swan, Red Kite, Melodious Warbler - 168.

2021 ‘patch’ total - 100.

PHOTOS

As last year, no overseas trips meant less photography and so fewer photos to choose from. Here is a selection of my favourite pics from 2021 in chronological order. Mostly barely adequate technically but they’re the ones I like the most.

1) Bonaparte’s Gull - L’Eree, February

Bird of the year on its first day, showing its salient features whilst dramatically riding a wave. Difficult photography conditions meant a tricky bird to get sharp pics but I thought this photo demonstrated the cold, icy blow during which the bird arrived. As there was little colour in the pic anyway, I desaturated it which made the bird stand out better and the lack of focus round the head less obvious.

2) Bonaparte’s Gull - L’Eree, February

I eventually managed to return to the beach at high tide when the weather had settled down and this was the best portrait I managed of the bird. Looking rather serene compared to the first photo, it was tricky to get a shot of it when it was still as it constantly moved when I was watching it. The grey wash on the hind-neck shows well here.

3) The Pepperpot - Fermain, March

The “Pepperpot” is a white-painted navigation marker on the cliffs above Fermain Bay which I’d only ever seen from the sea previously. You can get inside and I was surprised to see that the top part was hollow and you could see right to the top, probably just to save bricks. The concentric circular pattern was pleasing to the eye and I really liked the variety of colour and shade to the bricks.

4) Blackthorn Blossom - Saints Bay, April

A beautiful spring day on the cliffs, which appeared to be covered with a light dusting of snow. The Sloe flowers were luxurious this year, even the distant clifftops have a white tinge to them. And the Saints Bay sea was bluer than ever.

5) Dunlin - Vazon, April

It was a calm, high tide and a quick look over the wall at Vazon before work revealed this small flock of waders just feeding there, in the sun, so close. The low morning light, just peeking over the sea wall meant the stones below were in shadow but the bird’s plumage was lit up from over my shoulder. The sheepish stance of this particular bird in its fine, red-backed breeding feathers was a nice pose.

6) Sanderling - Vazon, April

And just a few yards to the left of the Dunlin was this ghost of a Sanderling. This one was in the shadow of the wall with no sunlight on it which was probably better due to the whiteness of the plumage. Waders are so ace when you manage to get really close to them.

7) Ashy Mining Bee - Prevote, May

Even though it is not that rare here, this was my first Ashy Mining Bee, decked out in its fluffy grey scarf. Rather than a super close up, I think it looks great on the umbel - Hemlock Water-Dropwort I think - with the tiny white flowers with purple spots.

7) Stinking Iris - Pulias, June

Just a quick snap on my phone, but I found especially pleasing to the eye. I think it is the not-quite symmetrical symmetry of the petals, slightly slanted against the fan of leaves behind, and the textures and colours also are fab. I’ve found five species of iris in just this very short stretch of my coastal patch.

8) Short-eared Owl - Tielles, July

The Short-eared Owls were showing so well in the summer that I was disappointed that I only managed to get there one, quite dull evening. I was also disappointed that, despite some very close encounters, I managed very few shots. This one though, with the bird staring straight into my soul was a favourite.

9) Swallowtail - Pleinmont, July

When this insect flew past me at Pleinmont and seem to disappear, I didn’t think I would be able to get a photo at all. But a short while later it reappeared and I was able to stalk it a little and managed this spread-wing shot on a Sea Beet sprig, with the scorched dirt of the scramble track in the background. It is a pity that one of its tails had been snipped off.

10) Pyrausta ostrinalis - Herm, July

Just a simple staged photo of a Herm Common specialist but the colours and freshness of this individual is astounding. Each tiny scale seems to be perfectly in its place and the colours are as bright as can be. There were hundreds and hundreds of these flying over the thyme on our trip in roasting July.

11) Grey Seal - Humps, Aug

Although I see seal heads poking above the water on many occasion, I never seem to get close enough for a decent photo. This one came to investigate the boat as it bobbed near the humps off Herm. It has the look of a creature that seems quite unimpressed with our efforts at navigating the waves.

12) Driffield Riverhead - August

An evening snap with my phone of the historic Riverhead in Driffield which is the very top of the canal that was used to take local produce away by boast to the River Hull.

13) Garden Spider - Grand Pre, August

Although a common species, Garden Spiders are pretty big and this one was hanging in amongst the reedbed at Grand Pre, in an almost, but not quite, symmetrical position.

15) Spotted Flycatcher - Rousse, August

It’s the pastel colour scheme of this photo which really makes it for me - the pale blue of the sky and the pale green of the White Poplar leaves. The flycatcher isn’t very big in the frame but everyone loves a bird in habitat pic. The bird is framed by the twigs and leaves making a pleasing aesthetic.

16) Ochsenheimeria taurella - Mont Herault, September

The amazing Stig-of-the-dump style facial scales of this species are pretty spectacular. It is a small species and the macro even picks up the forked tips of the scales. The crazy hair and moustache of this insect are pretty hilarious.

17) Red-backed Shrike - Portinfer, September

Finding this cracking bird was one of the highlights of the year and this was a nice photo of it. The reddish tail and upperparts stand out against the green leaves and looping purple stems of the brambles.

18) Firecrest - Pleinmont, October

As Dr. Johnson said, “A man who is tired of Firecrests, is tired of life”. This migrant bird was at very close range but was moving so fast it was difficult to get a sharp pic in the gloomy conditions.

19) White-tailed Plover - Blacktoft, October

I never thought I’d get close enough to this bird to get a decent photo like this but I was fortunate enough to happen upon it just in front of one of the hides. I was even more fortunate that is stayed so long and I was able to see it! It might have pretty plain plumage but look at those ridiculous legs!

20) Fieldfare - Grand Pre Orchard, November

The details and intricate patterning of a thrush are little rivalled. The crisp feather fringes and delicate spotting of this Fieldfare are terrific. I discovered a decent flock feeding in the orchard and hid myself away behind a bush to get this shot.

FILMS

Here are my twenty favourite new movies of the year out of the c.50 I watched during 2021, in more or less but not a strict order. The first year that almost half of these were watched on streaming services rather than downloading.

PODCASTS

I spend so much time listening to podcasts that I thought I would pick out the main ones I listened to in 2021 (that were still producing episodes). Many of these I have been listening to for years and years.