Did you know that ringed plovers' breeding season is about to start? Alderney has the last consistently breeding ringed plover population in the Channel Islands. We'll continue to put up cordons on Platte Saline and Saye to protect these waders during their vulnerable time.
Can you identify this?
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It's Oak Marble Gall Wasp, also known as 'oak nuts'. It produces hard, woody, marble-like balls that can be found on oak twigs, often in clusters.
Photo by Tara Cox
Approximately 18 bottlenose dolphins were spotted last week at the bottom of Essex Hill. Brilliant videos recorded by our Ramsar Ecologist, @niamh_mcdevitt
📷The gannets landed on Les Etacs today!
After overwintering off the west coast of North Africa and the Bay of Biscay, these seabirds have returned to their breeding site. They will reunite with their mates and start preparing for the nesting season.
Photos by @AlexPurdie6
A rare sighting of a humpback whale in Alderney's waters! It was spotted about 5 miles northwest of Casquets on 16 January by Clem Carter, a member of the public
Photo credits: Clem Carter
Last Sunday, we did the Wetland Bird Survey. Highlights included a Brent Goose at Longis Bay, six Grey Plovers at Saye, three Mediterranean Gulls at Braye, 40 Ringed Plovers at Platte Saline, and two Common Scoters at Braye.
Photos by Matt Lewis and Mediterranean Gull
A Red Kite hunting at Kiln Farm
This is a rare sighting spotted by local wildlife photographer @jbrent01 !
There are now around 6,000 pairs of Red Kites in the UK.
Photo credit: James Brenton
Marine discoveries of 2024 in the UK:
🐌 Sea slugs
🌿 New seaweeds
🦈 Tope sharks
🐢 Loggerhead turtle
Conservation does work—but we need stronger protections for blue carbon habitats.
Full report here: https://t.co/XFVhVNCd2i
Alderney's Ramsar Site/work brings Alderney national attention. AWT's work monitoring of gannets by drones with Seabird Watch and marine surveying on Alderney, and the Alderney State of Nature Project were mentioned in several national newspapers @AlexPurdie6
Wildlife sightings last week: Bottlenose dolphins, grey seals, peregrine, little egret, shoveler, mallard and little grebe
Photos by @AlexPurdie6 and Abigail de Castella
*Rare sighting* In this month's Wetland Bird Survey, our team spotted a Tufted Duck with a nasal plate at Crabby Quarry. This duck was tagged 320 miles away, in the northeast of France in March 2024. @_TaraCox
Alderney Wins the Exciting New RHS Award “Gardening for Wildlife”. The award highlights Alderney's success in fostering environments that benefit birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife.
Here are some photos from marine biologists who visited Alderney in September for the annual field trip of the Porcupine Marine Natural History Society.