19th April 2013

Still some sea birds today as a result of the gale 36 hours ago, notably 8 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Little Gulls, 25 Gannets, 25 Rrazorbills, 12 Kittiwakes, 100 Sandwich Terns, 42 Common Terns, 60 + Guillemots and the first 2 Little Terns seen at Hilbre this year. Two male Eiders were logged, one an adult male the other an immature male. On the island the Goldfinch movements continued with 93 birds today, also a Siskin and a Greenfinch and 2 White Wagtails, the hirundines only being represented by about a dozen Swallows. The solitary small migrant in the trapping area was a single Goldcrest, this was no surprise following the strong westerlies yesterday and the north westerly today, although 2 Great Tits made a brief appearance. Wader counts todaty included flocks of 500 and 200 Knot, 1500 and 200 Dunlin, 170 Turnstone and 60 Ringed Plover.
(DB,CJW,NDW,+ John Coupe, et al)