7th February 2013

A north westerly with squalls produced records of a Great Northern Diver and 2 Mute Swans flying west. Brent Geese are still around the 200 mark and 140 Shelduck were logged. Wader counts included 3,500 Oystercatchers,  5,000 Knot, 3,500 Dunlin, 450 Curlew, 130 Turnstone, 150 Sanderling, 90 Redshank, 13 Purple Sandpipers and 10 Grey Plover. Also noted was a Peregrine, a Common Scoter, a total of 18 Carrion Crows (including those on the east hoyle) and a dead Razorbill down the east side.  Land birds present on the island were a typical example of what is expected on a mid-winter day, 6 Wrens, 2 Dunnocks, 3 Robins, 3 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. Twenty Linnets were on Hilbre with 2 at Little Eye ,but only a single Meadow Pipit could be found. The first Snowdrops and a Crocus gave hope that the spring is not far away.
(DB)