New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - July 2025: Trip to UK, day 3 - Wheatfen, Strumpshaw, and finding a second for Britain! www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/9/...

The island's first Short-eared Owl of the autumn seen on L'Ancresse Common this afternoon.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - July 2025: Trip to UK, days 1&2 - Pottering round Windsor Park & a Norfolk village www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/9/...

Trap out on the cliffs at Pleinmont this evening in Guernsey, ready to suck in the stream of southern vagrants, streaming in across the sea.

My birding card game "Name That Bird" has been updated and new cards have been included. Ideal for long autumn evenings on birding trips. Download free printouts at the link below: static1.squarespace.com/static/57652...

Dusky Scalloped Oak trapped on Corbiere cliffs a couple of nights ago with @andym105.bsky.social I've been wanting to see this Guernsey speciality for a very long time, but it only lives on the south coast cliffs in small numbers and so is hard to find.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - July 2025 part i - Echium Stilt and Peacock Beetles : www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/8/...

Saw a Dotterel this morning fly in off the sea over the cliffs at Pleinmont, Guernsey. I found it again an hour later in a nearby field.

Greater White-toothed Shrew out in the open yesterday at Jaonneuse, Guernsey.

Phyllonorycter scopariella beaten off Broom at the weekend - a rarely-seen species it seems, and new to me.

Dusky Hook-tip to light in Guernsey on night of 13th - a new sp for me and only, I think, the 3rd record for the island.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - June 2025 - the 700th moth species for the garden: www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/8/...

Light Crimson Underwing caught in my trap in Guernsey last night. A rare visitor, the first for Guernsey afaik. Also new for the garden, an Oak Processionary.

Sunset off the Guernsey cliffs last night.

The outstanding and very rare fungus Artomyces pyxidatus (Crown-tipped Coral) at Strumpshaw last week. I'd like to say that we discovered this ourselves, but we were shown it by the warden Ben.

I netted this Diamsemiopsis ramburialis last Wednesday in the daytime beside Hatchet Pond, New Forest. They are generally a rare migrant but perhaps they are breeding at the pond?

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - May 2025 pt ii - Black Kite www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/8/...

Didn't expect to find something so rare on the BUBO wildlife-weekend in Norfolk. This is Grapholita delineana, the Hemp Tortrix, at only the second location it has ever been recorded in Britain, after first being discovered in Suffolk last year - although more records may surface this summer.

Found a superb beetle at the weekend - Elaphrus riparius, one of the Peacock Beetles. There was quite a few running on the bare, dried mud at the Grand Pre nature reserve. I don't think it has been recorded very often in Guernsey before.

Scanning wires for Corn Buntings near Crimond this afternoon to give @rogbroadbent.bsky.social a year tick, I found the anti-Corn Bunting - a Bee-eater present for just over 10 minutes #birdingscotland

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - May 2025 pt i - flycatchers, Painted Ladies and a wandering stork. www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/6/...

It may be a little grotty, but this Holly Tortrix (Rhopobota naevana) at the weekend becomes the 700th species of lepidoptera that I have recorded in my garden!

Pine Processionary caught in the trap in Guernsey last night - a new species for me and only a few records for the island. Also, a Striped Hawk-moth which flew off like the clappers when I went to inspect at 5am. A total of 100+ species recorded.

Lesser Puss Moth trapped here in Guernsey last night. Only my second record, no doubt came in on southerly winds. (aka "The Feline" but I find that is an ugly name)

Australian Fern Weevils (Syagrius intrudens) at the Garenne, Guernsey yesterday. Seems to be well-established at this nature reserve, but I haven't noticed it elsewhere on the island so far.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - April 2025 pt ii - the new normal bird race: www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/5/...

A huge nest of Black-backed Meadow Ants (F. pratensis) on the cliff path at Corbiere yesterday, probably the largest I've seen.

Bumped into a Black Kite whilst out for a family drive this afternoon here in Guernsey. Same bird that was seen on Friday. Not as common as you might expect here - this is only the 15th island record.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - April 2025 pt i - An early ST Lark & a pod of dolphins www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/5/...

White-shouldered Shieldbugs, Grand Pre Reserve, Guernsey

One of the Knepp White Storks flew over my house yesterday a couple of times.

White Stork seen twice from the garden today, plus a third time whilst driving back from the supermarket. It is ringed and seems to be a Knepp bird.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - March 2025 - American Herring Gull in Guernsey www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/4/...

A small influx of Painted Ladies here in Guernsey today. About 12 feeding along a 30 yard stretch of Thrift along my coastal patch this afternoon, plus a few elsewhere, including a few belting north over the school field at lunchtime.

Chocolate-tip in the garden yesterday.

A migrant Redstart stopping off on the clifftop at Pleinmont, Guernsey this morning.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - February 2025 - a new breeding species for Guernsey! www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/2/...

Slo-mo fly-past of the Guernsey American Herring Gull (from March)

First morning of the spring up Pleinmont headland today and there's a very early Short-toed Lark flying back and forth between the fields. Also 6 Black Redstarts, a Ring Ouzel and 5 Fieldfares, plus my first Dartford Warbler for a while. A pretty good time despite the annoying wind.

American Herring Gull today on Perelle beach, Guernsey - a new one for me. I could not find it this morning, but thanks to a heads-up from Mark & Wayne, saw it this afternoon. It appears to be rather fond of bread (or, as they say in America, "bread")

🎺🎺 🎶 Wheatears back on the patch! 🎶 🎺🎺

Hummingbird Hawk-moth attempting to sip on the garden daffodils this morning.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - January 2025 www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/2/...

The Buzzards on the patch are getting a little too blasé.

Caught the Scaup, the rarest visitor to the island at the moment, having a bathe at Grande Mare yesterday evening.

Cattle Egret strutting his funky stuff.

Winter Heliotrope carpet in St. Saviours.

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - Review of 2024 www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/1/...

Had to wait until the final day of the month to find the best patch bird of the month. This Mute Swan briefly in Grandes Rocques Bay was only my second sighting on my patch in more than 20 years. They do not visit the island every year #PWC2025 Altogether now..... " #patchgold !!!!"

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - November/December 2024 - some actual wildfowl in Guernsey www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/1/...