Jersey Birds
Societe Jersiaise , 7 Pier Road , St Helier , Jersey , JE2 4XW
www.jerseybirds.co.uk/ornithology@societe-jersiaise.orgAbout
The Island of Jersey sits in the Golfe de St Malo, off the west coast of Normandy, France.
Despite its small size of 45 square miles, it has an amazing diversity of habitats from coastal cliffs heathlands and dunes, to marshes and wooded inland valleys. Its strategic position, mild winter climate and extremely wide tidal range act as a magnet to both migrating and wintering birds and, to date, over 300 species have been recorded within the Bailiwick.
In addition to the Island itself, there are two main groups of offshore islets — Les Ecrehous five miles to the north-east and Les Minquiers ten miles to the South. Both of these groups of rocks act as hosts to a variety of breeding, seabirds which include Shags, Great Cormorants, Common Terns and Great Black-backed Gulls.
100 species of birds have been recorded as breeding in Jersey and these include some species which are scarce, or absent, as breeding birds on the mainland of the United Kingdom. Short-toed Treecreeper, Serin, Dartford Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Bearded Tit, Zitting Cisticola and Cirl Bunting have all bred in recent years. Most recently, Little Egrets have colonised the main island with a few pairs breeding each year. Marsh Harriers have bred at St Ouen’s Pond and Peregrines have re—colonised after an absence of 40 years.
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Spring and autumn can be very rewarding times to birdwatch in Jersey especially if the wind is in the east (or, as often happens, blowing a gale from the west!). Overshooting continental birds occur with species such as Hoopoe, Golden Oriole, Zitting Cisticola and shrike species all seen regularly.
Seabirds, of course, feature strongly in the annual records. Apart from the breeding Northern Fulmars Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills etc… there are good autumn passages (mainly October to December) of three species of divers, seaducks, Brent Geese, auks and Little Gulls, amongst many others.
The recording of all the Island bird reports is undertaken by the Societe Jersiaise and records can be sent via e-mailCategories: Information Service, Wildlife Conservation.
