Gyr Crakes

A new species for the garden in the trap this morning - Acleris literana (Lichen tortrix). Also migrants: 1 Rush Veneer, 2 Pearly Underwing. Plus only my 2nd Tawny Pinion, and 3 Oak Beauties, which I've only had 3 previously. (Guernsey - 23rd year trapping in garden)

January 2026 — Just A Bird I knew that there was a population of the rare and weird fern, the Least Adder’s-tongue , on the patch, but I didn’t know where exactly it was. I even knew the approximate location, within 10 metres ...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - January 2026: Least Adder's-tongue and wild geese.
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2026/2/...

The Laughing Gull showing rather well on Guernsey yesterday. Le Trepied Dolmen in the background.

Least Adder's-tongue on the patch last month. Only grows in a small 2m square of turf on Guernsey. I didn't know exactly where this was before a passing botanist pointed me in the right direction. At about 2cm tall, no wonder I hadn't noticed them before.

Review of 2025 — Just A Bird 2025 was a very quiet year for birding. The couple of really exciting birds that were seen on the island were not seen by me! The avian highlights were finding the Pallas’s and the Dotterel - any bird...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - Review of 2025
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2026/1/...

November/December 2025 — Just A Bird After work on 4th November, I popped in to see a group of 7 Whooper Swans which had been found on the new pond along Rue des Bergers. I had not seen Whooper Swan in Guernsey for a while, and this wa...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - November/December 2025: Finding a Pallas's Warbler and a ghost Chiffchaff.
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/11...

October 2025 — Just A Bird The first opportunity for proper birding was on 12th October when I went to look for migrants at Pleinmont. It was nicely busy up there, with my first Redwings of the winter and double-figures of S...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - October 2025: Hobby, Old World Webworm & a possible Siberian Oystercatcher
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/11...

September 2025 — Just A Bird 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 i...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - September 2025: Asian Hornet, Red-veined Darter & Short-eared Owl
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/11...

August 2025 — Just A Bird With a full month at home in August, moth-trapping was the focus of attention, but there was not a great number of weather-suitable nights to get the light out in the garden. However, mid-month, betwe...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - August 2025: Dusky Scalloped Oak, Dotterel & a bounty of new moths
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/11...

Guernsey Rarity Report 2024 available for download here: static1.squarespace.com/static/57652...

The weird, invasive Orange Pore Fungus (Favolaschia Calocera) found at Pleinmont, Guernsey last week.

... so I am guessing these are still MV bulbs, just the box labelled wrongly. Has anyone got these ones? And are they actually MV bulbs??

A question for moth trapping people. I needed a new MV bulb, so bought a cheaper online. When it came out said metal halide in the box (L). I assumed I got the wrong type so I bought 2 MV bulbs from WatDon. They are exactly the same but the metal halide label is covered over with sharpie (R).. (1/2)

Delighted to find a superb PALLAS'S WARBLER this morning at Vau de Monel, Pleinmont, Guernsey. This is my first "self-found" Pallas's, and the first record in Guernsey since 2008.
(photos below were taken by Wayne Turner later in the day - thanks to him for the use of these)

July 2025 - trip to UK (day 7) — Just A Bird The trip finished with a full day in the New Forest , to search for rare species. I had been looking forward to this for a while and intended to give it some real effort today. I didn’t get off too...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - July 2025: Trip to UK, day 7 - The New Forest
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/10...

July 2025 - trip to UK (days 5 & 6) — Just A Bird On 28th July, breakfast was accompanied with a selection of moths from the trap. New species that we hadn’t had the previous few nights were Ear Moth , Nut-tree Tussock , Catoptria pinella and, ...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - July 2025: Trip to UK, day 5 - The Brecks
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/10...

Sooty Shearwater passing Jaonneuse, Guernsey this morning.

July 2025 - trip to UK (day 4) — Just A Bird The next day the weather seemed much brighter, albeit on and off, but the moth trap in the garden was quiet, not having any additional species from the day before. We decided to head back to Strumps...

New 'Just a Bird' diary/blog post - July 2025: Trip to UK, day 4 - Strumpshaw & Great Yarmouth.
www.gyrcrakes.com/blog/2025/10...

Juvenile Hobby over Vau de Monel, Pleinmont yesterday morning.

July 2025 - trip to UK (day 3) — Just A Bird The moth trap had been set in the village garden the night before, and in the morning, there was a literal smorgasbord of tasty morsels to pick through, many of which were new for me. It had been good...

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.

My dad, who lives in Driffield, insists that he saw a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in his garden earlier this year. I don't suppose that it is at all likely? There's none at all round there is there? (I've said it was probably a GSW that just looked small)

July 2025 - trip to UK (days 1 & 2) — Just A Bird Late morning on 24th July , I set off on the ferry for a week of wildlife with the BUBO lads in Norfolk. This was the first time that I had been on the new ferry, and I was disappointed to see that...

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.

July 2025 part i — Just A Bird Mid-summer and it is all insects, with no birds of interest turning up. A highlight was the Entomology Section setting up a series of moth traps in the reedbeds at Grand Pre on 12th. We had the usual ...

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.