Rob Lucking has reported a Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa at Pointe Larue, Mahe on 5 February 2024. SBRC has accepted 13 previous records of this species..

From top left to bottom right:: Aldabra 22-23 January (Annabelle Cupidon/SIF); Farquhar  24 January (William McNeely/ICS); Alphonse 22 January (Kaeleah Andrew/ICS); Alphonse 3 January (Alphonse); St Francois 31 January (Kaeleah Andrew/ICS); Desroches 18 January (Nasreen Khan).

In January 2024, SBRC received an unprecedented number of reports of Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe from the outer islands of Seychelles. Reports came from the Amirantes (Desroches and Alphonse), Farquhar and Aldabra.

The timing of these sightings is similar to previous reports, being later in the season than other northern migrants. There is probably a good reason for this. Northern Wheatears breeding in Western Europe have spread to eastern North America in recent times while the Asian breeding population has spread to Alaska. However, all populations winter in Africa. Birds in eastern North America travel via Europe while those breeding in Alaska go the opposite way around the globe and cross the whole of Asia. So records in Seychelles are most likely to be eastern birds from as far away as Alaska.    This is the longest recorded migration for any songbird.
 

Kaeleah Andrew has reported a Pacific Swift at the south coast, Alphonse on 23-25 January 2024. SBRC has accepted 20 previous records of this species. However, what were once four races of one species have now been split. Two of these - Cook’s Swift and Salim Ali’s Swift - are extremely unlikely in Seychelles because they are not long-distance migrants. The only long-distance migrant of the four species likely to reach Seychelles is Apus pacificus  However, Blyth’s Swift A. leuconyx also migrates to some extent and is a possibility. SBRC has retained all Seychelles records as Pacific Swift with a caveat that Blyth’s Swift cannot be ruled out.
 
Compared to Pacific Swift, Blyth's Swift has a narrower rump patch and the white fringes to the underparts feathers distinctly less numerous or obvious.
 

Dr Girish Menon has continued to build the list of species reported from Coëtivy, including sightings and photographs of the following , illustrated from left to right above:

1. Up to six Oriental Pratincoles present from 15 October to 5 November, the first report for Coëtivy.
2. Only the third report of Red Knot for Seychelles, present on 20-21 November.
3. The first report of Western Yellow Wagtail for Coëtivy, two birds present 3-4 December  
4. The first report for Coëtivy of Pacific Golden Plover, five birds present from 11 December.

 

 Elena Leverato and William McNeely have reported a remarkable series of vagrant sightings from Farquhar. From top left to bottom right above, these are:
1. An adult female Amur Falcon on 29 November, a vagrant to the outer islands where there have been five records accepted by SBRC, three of them on Farquhar
2. An adult Broad-billed Roller on 4 December, a vagrant west of Aldabra recorded 34 times, including four times at Farquhar
3. An Oriental Pratincole from 11 November onward, present into December when joined by a second individual, the first record for Farquhar
4. A female Ruff on 29 November, recorded 42 times in Seychelles by SBRC, including once at Farquhar

Kaeleah Andrew has reported a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage at Point Dot, Alphonse on 11 December 2023. The nominate race of Whiskered Tern breeds across much of southern Eurasia, Eastern European birds winter mostly in East Africa, with a few in the southern Middle East. Therefore, this must be a potential vagrant to Seychelles. However, it would be surprising to see a Eurasian bird in full breeding plumage in December. Race delalandii breeds in Madagascar, southern Africa and east Africa. This is the darkest race and indeed the plumage of this bird is very dark, perhaps exaggerated to some extent by the exposure. This race has a small white cheek. Peak laying in Madagascar is November. SBRC has accepted nine previous records.

Steve Agricole discovered a Squacco Heron at Ton Mark's, Northeast Point, Mahe on 11 November 2023, while giving a birding tour to two visitors from the cruiseship Zuiderdam. He called Adrian Skerrett who came to see it and take photographs. SBRC has accepted 21 previous records. The bird was still present when Steve visited again on 20 November.

Dr Girish Medon has reported a Glossy Ibis at Coetivy, present on 1 November 2023, present since 25 October. The sighting followed a heavy storm during the early hours of the morning. The bird was seen for nearly two hours near a temporary rain pool close to the shrimp farm, alongside some Grey Herons and Grey Francolins. Later it was seen near the middle of the island being chased by Fairy Terns.

This is the first report of any vagrant species from the island of Coetivy.

On a scoping trip to Assomption on behalf of Island Conservation Society, Greg Berke reported a Caspian Tern seen on 11 September 2023 flying and the following day on the south west coast..

Caspian Tern is the rarest resident bird species of Seychelles. Until recently, the only known breeding site was at Aldabra, where up to 10 pairs nest, mainly on Iles Moustiques. This was the only oceanic breeding side in the world for the species.. Then in May 2023, Island Conservation Society staff at Cosmoledo recorded the first breeding record from outside of Aldabra at Menai.

This is the first record of this species from Assomption.

Graeme Risdon has submitted to SBRC a record form with supporting photographs (above) of a Grey-headed Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus at Victoria harbour, on 19 February and again on 26 February 1995. 

There have been no confirmed Seychelles records of this species to date. There is a published report from Farquhar that pre-dates the formation of SBRC, but unfortunately, details could not be traced. for confirmation. Also, SBRC has accepted 6 records as  indeterminate between Black-headed Gull C. ridibundus, Brown-headed Gull C. brunnicephalus and Grey-headed Gull.