Alderney

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British Isles, Channel Islands

Overview

The most northerly and remote of the Channel Islands, Alderney and its outlying islets and rocks is probably the best area for seabirds in the entire archipelago and there are several wooded valleys that attract passerine migrants. The main island has very attractive coastal scenery, particularly on the south coast between Fort Nummery and Fort Tourgis.

Giffoine Point, in the south-west of the island is famous for its rich and varied flora which includes many rarities.

Birds

Notable Species

Dartford Warbler nests here amongst the prostrate broom and gorse. This headland has good numbers of breeding seabirds and provides views over the sea to the gannetry on the rocks of Les Etacs 200m offshore. A smaller gannetry is found on Ortac, a rock about 5km off Alderney's western coast.

In the north-east of the island is Longy Common, another good area for migrants which has reed-fringed ponds. The small island of Burhou lies off the west coast with breeding seabirds including Storm Petrel and Atlantic Puffin.

Rarities

Rarities have included Black Kite, Zitting Cisticola and Golden Oriole and an immature Booted Eagle was reported in May 2002.

Checklist

Birds you can see here include:

Red-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Northern Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, European Storm Petrel, Great Cormorant, Shag, Northern Gannet, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Common Teal, Mallard, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Scoter, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Sanderling, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Woodcock, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Kittiwake, Common Tern, Black Tern, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Atlantic Puffin, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Short-eared Owl, Common Swift, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Common Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Common Bullfinch, Reed Bunting

Other Wildlife

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Site Information

History and Use

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Areas of Interest

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Access and Facilities

A wide range of accommodation is available on Alderney or, alternatively the island can be visited on a day-trip from the larger Channel Islands. Boat-trips can be arranged to view Burhou and Ortac.

Contact Details

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External Links

Alderney Wildlife Trust

Content and images originally posted by Steve