Another fine day, with the wind veering further east and producing a warm day.

Pick of the birds passing Noirmont was an Ortolan Bunting, with 8 Swifts and 2 Hobbys also seen. Hirundine movement got under way there after 10:30 with 1090 Swallows, 37 Sand Martins and 31 House Martins by 12:00 when the counting ceased, but the passage did not, with birds still passing at around 700 per hour then. Others to fly over included 75 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Tree Pipits, 4 alba Wagtails, a Greenshank and a Whimbrel. On the ground, or dropping in were 12 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 2 Redstarts, a Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Garden Warblers, 20+ Whitethroats and 20+ Willow Warblers.

A Ruff was a new arrival at St Ouen's Pond, also a Common Sandpiper, a Snipe, a Water Rail and at least 6 Bearded Tits were there. 5 Common Scoters were seen off the east coast. 5 Common Buzzards were soaring over Greve de Lecq woods.

Back to yesterday when an Arctic Skua was chasing Sandwich Terns in St Aubin's Bay, 2 Kingfishers were in the West Park Marina, also a Greenshank and 2 Wheatears were in the area

Picture: This Map butterfly was seen and photographed by Helen Trapp at Jardin d'Olivet on the 5th August and is the second record of the species for Jersey and the Channel Islands.

It was more of the same today, with counts passing or on the ground at Noirmont including 2658 Swallows, 116 Sand Martins, 44 House Martins,13 Grey Herons, 44 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Tree Pipits, 9 alba Wagtails, 2 Kestrels high to the south-west, 14 Wheatears, 4 Whinchats, 3 Whitethroats and 3 Willow Warblers. A Peregrine was again in attendance and 2 Ravens, plus 2 Common Buzzards to the North.

A trip to Les Ecrehous last weekend found a Manx Shearwater, a Balearic Shearwater, one Guillemot, 150 Turnstones, 150 Sandwich Terns, 15 Little Egrets and 7 Grey Herons.

Picture: The Guillemot at Les Ecrehous last weekend, image courtesy of Nick Jouault.

Today's weather was pretty much a repeat of yesterday's.

Counts through the morning at Noirmont produced 1825 Swallows, 132 Sand Martins and 40 House Martins by 1pm, but the passage was continuing. Other species overflying included 15 Swifts, 36 Yellow Wagtails, 6 Tree Pipits, 5 White Wagtails, 3 Hobbys, a Sparrowhawk, a Snipe and a trickle of inbound Wheatears, totalling at least 35 birds by the end of the morning. Virtually nothing was grounded with another clear night, just a handful of Willow Warblers sheltering from a gusty east wind. 3 Common Buzzards were again flying to the north of the headland.
2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Hobby were seen at St Catherine's Woods.

Some records fron St Ouen's Pond at lunchtime: a Hen Harrier, a Little Grebe, 6 Shovelers, 5 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Greenshank, a Redshank, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, and a Reed Warbler.

A good count at Queen's Valley yesterday produced a total of 41 Greenshanks and 4 Grey Herons, but tides are now falling off.
Also yesterday evening at St Ouen's Pond, 40 birds were ringed and birds present there were 2 Green Sandpipers, a Kingfisher ( ringed), a juvenile male Hen Harrier, 12 Marsh Harriers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Wheatears, 5 Bearded Tits, 10 Sedge Warblers, 190 Reed Warblers and a roost of 200 Swallows and 12 Sand Martins.

Picture: Wheatear at Noirmont

Firstly, an extra item for yesterday when 2 White Storks were seen thermalling up out of St Ouen's Bay mid-morning before being lost from view.

The promised anticyclone duly arrived today with a fine day and a shift in the wind to the east. A clear night meant little was grounded, but some strong migration over Noirmont was a change for the better.
Early movers there included a Swift, 133 Yellow Wagtails, 17 Tree Pipits, 16 White Wagtails, with 28 Wheatears, a Whinchat, and a Redstart all appearing. Later morning hirundines started to flood through with counts of 1246 Swallows, 215 Sand Martins and 12 House Martins, with a Green Sandpiper, 4 Ringed Plovers, a Redshank, a Whimbrel, a Hobby, 2 Peregrines and 12 Grey Herons over. 3 Common Buzzards were again soaring to the north.

Evening update: A Pied Flycatcher was in a garden at Le Hurel, the Wood Sandpiper was still at St Ouen's Pond and a further 10 Wheatears were on Les Blanches Bancs.

Picture: One of today's two Peregrines flies over the bunker.

It was a fine day but with a cool northerly wind, as an anticyclone finally drifted our way offering promise of a better week ahead.

Passing Grosnez early were 5 Balearic Shearwaters, a Great Skua and 100+ Sandwich Terns

Notable birds at Noirmont were a continuous trickle of Wheatears, at least 50 in all, a Hobby, a juvenile Peregrine, 51 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Tree Pipits, 14 White Wagtails, 180 Swallows, 4 Sand Martins, but just a few Whitethroats and Willow Warblers otherwise present. 215 Gannets, 140 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns and 2 Common Scoters moved west offshore there. 7 Wheatears were at Elizabeth Castle

At Grouville Marsh were 15 Reed Warblers, with young still being fed, 5 Sedge Warblers, 10 Willow Warblers, 30 Blackcaps, 4 Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, a Redstart, 5 Greenshanks, 5 Teal, 3 Water Rails and an adult Marsh Harrier.

A Swift passed Victoria Tower and 150 Sanderlings, 150 Ringed Plovers, a Great crested Grebe and 2 Wheatears were in Grouville Bay. 5 Common Buzzards were seen, 3 in St Peter's Valley and 2 at St Catherine's. A juvenile Long-eared Owl was calling at Noirmont later afternoon.

A Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Bearded Tit and Clouded Yellow butterfly were at St Ouen's Pond

Picture: a previous juvenile Long-eared Owl at Noirmont, pictured by Romano da Costa.

Most of yesterday's migrants appear to have cleared out of the Island overnight with just a single Redstart, 6 Whitethroats and a few Willow Warblers at Noirmont today. Wheatears continue to pass through with at least 28 at Noirmont today, plus 4 in Grouville Bay and 5 at Grosnez. Some early passage at Noirmont included 10 Yellow Wagtails, 2 White Wagtails, a Tree Pipit, 3 Sand Martins, 14 House Martins and 65 Swallows, but it quickly petered out. A Peregrine was hunting the area with another seen at Grosnez this afternoon.

4 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Balearic Shearwaters passed Grosnez late afternoon.

Picture: Fulmar

The focus was on Noirmont today, with the Visible Migration weekend in progress and despite a clear night, there was a good selection of migrants around, both airborne and grounded.

Moving overhead were 130 Swallows, 39 Sand Martins, 11 White Wagtails, 17 Tree Pipits, a Yellow Wagtail, a Hobby, and 11 Whimbrels. On the ground were at least 7 Spotted Flycatchers, 5 Redstarts, a Sedge Warbler, 25 + Willow Warblers, 6 Whitethroats and a minimum of 45 Wheatears, which were moving through during the morning. Odd waders over included a Greenshank, a Grey Plover, a Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper, while 3 Common Buzzards were in the air to the north of the headland. A further 14 Wheatears were around the south west and west of the Island.
An excellent count of 42 Greenshanks was made at Queen's Valley.

At St Ouen's Pond were a Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Snipe and 3 Bearded Tits, in the Sandpits were 13 Pochards and at Petit Port, 50 Sandwich Terns. 100 Gannets were feeding off of Corbiere.

A pair of White Wagtails appears to have bred at St Aubin's Harbour, with a juvenile being seen with adults there.

Evening update: Lots more records for today: At Les Landes 50 Wheatears, 2 Tree Pipits, 2 Whinchats, 2 Whimbrels, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Stonechats.

At Grouville Marsh: 10+ Sedge Warblers, 20+ Reed Warblers, 40 Willow Warblers, 40 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats, a Water Rail, a Common Buzzard, a Wheatear, a Marsh Harrier, a Redstart and a Mandarin.

Additional birds at St Ouen's Pond: a Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe and a Water Rail. In town: a Peregrine at St Thomas' Church still

Picture: A new section in the Gallery shows Favourite images, with more to be added soon. Here, a picture of a Hamerkop, taken in Mozambique.

Pick of the day was an Osprey which headed out from Noirmont, in company with a Marsh Harrier, both disappearing to the south.

There was clearly an arrival of migrants overnight, but today's poor conditions of constant light rain and gusty northerly winds made locating them difficult. 30 Wheatears were spread between Grouville Bay (14), Les Creux (2) and Noirmont (14). Grounded at Noirmont were a Lesser Whitethroat, 8+ Whitethroats, a male Redstart, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Stonechat, a Sedge Warbler, 10+ Willow Warblers and 2 Blackcaps. 2 White Wagtails flew over as well as 7 Sand Martins and 72 Swallows.

The Wood Sandpiper was again at St Ouen's Pond, as well as a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and a Snipe. 11 Ringed Plovers were in St Brelade's Bay.

Tomorrow is a UK co-ordinated "Visible Migration" watch day. Noirmont will be manned from dawn, in expectation!

Picture: A juvenile Shag.

Before today's dose of heavy rain at lunchtime:

Passiing Grosnez were 30 Balearic Shearwaters, a Manx Shearwater, 117 Whimbrels in six flocks, 54 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns, 4 Swallows and a House Martin. One Wheatear was near the light.

At Noirmont there was some early movement of Swallows and House Martins and on the ground were 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Common Redstart, a Blackcap, a few Willow Warblers and a Wheatear.

In St Ouen's Bay and at Petit Port were 86 Sandwich Terns ( mainly roosting at PP), 1 Common Tern, 4 Redshanks, 3 Common Sandpipers at Le Pulec, the Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe and a Water Rail at St Ouen's Pond, 3 Little Grebes, 6 Pochards and 4 Lapwings in the Sandpits.
Today's haul at Queen's Valley was 33 Greenshanks and 2 Mandarins.

Evening update: There has been an influx of Wheatears today with 17 on the seawall by Grouville Bay golf course around five pm.

Picture: Good numbers of Whimbrels passed Grosnez, which included one flock of 60 birds.

A deceptively calm start soon disappeared as rain and strong southerly winds blew through the Island.

Off the east coast early, passing La Coupe were 7 Balearic Shearwaters, 145 Sandwich Terns, 5 Common Terns, 215 Gannets, 5 Fulmars, 2 Common Scoters, a female Shoveler, 2 Greenshanks, a flock of 48 Grey Plovers and 3 Turnstones. Late this afternoon a further 4 Balearic Shearwaters passed Grosnez with 24 Whimbrels, a Grey Plover and 13 Sandwich Terns also on the move there.

At St Ouen's Pond were a Wood Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, a Kingfisher, a female Merlin and 2 Sedge Warblers. One Wheatear was also there.

Around the south east coast were 3 Great crested Grebes, a Mediterranean Gull, 88 Sanderlings, 13 Dunlins, 94 Ringed Plovers and 4 Grey Plovers, with 33 Greenshanks and 2 Mandarins at Queen's Valley.

3 Wheatears were at Noirmont after the rain.

Picture: Another view of the Black Stork which is in care.