Gyr Crakes

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.

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.

June 2025 — Just A Bird June was all about the moths. A few really hot, sticky nights producing some superb catches and a number of rarities. My current policy of only setting the trap when the conditions look really good me...

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

there's been a couple so not the first, but a first for me!

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?

May 2025 part ii — Just A Bird The bird of the second half of May was bumped into whilst in the car on a family outing. There were lots of birds of prey in the sky on the sunny afternoon of 18th May and, as well as plenty of Buzza...

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

Of course, many thanks to the lads for a superb weekend of merriment and tomfoolery: @andymus.bsky.social @bubomike.bsky.social @inchgarthbirding.bsky.social @pilning.bsky.social

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.