4th June 2013

Weather:  SE 1, vis 32 miles, some mist early on, 0/8 cloud (wall to wall sunshine)

Hopeful early morning rounds of the trapping areas proved over optimistic but the first phylloscopus warblers arrived on the island for almost a week (see 28th May) with two Chiffchaffs caught and a single Willow Warbler seen (where do these late Chiffchaffs come from/go to?  We get them almost every year at Hilbre at the end of May/beginning of June).

Several small and one large party of geese were seen around the islands including Canadas and Greylags but more in keeping with the sunshine and blue skies were five Little Egrets.

Small numbers of waders were noted around the islands including 3 Grey Plover, 21 Sanderling, 250 Dunlin still and two Turnstone in spanking summer dress.

Two Ravens were noted from the mainland at Red Rocks sitting on a carcass of a Harbour Porpoise on the beach, but observers in the Obs were distracted by the arrival of a stunning summer plumaged Black Guillemot flying down the east side of the island, ditching in the flooding tide south east of the Obs before taking flight and relocating to just off the North End.

It stayed for a short while before flying off, before being seen again mid morning after which it disappeared as the tide ebbed, much to the irritation of two mainlanders who had come to twitch this 'Wirral Mega'.

With the day warming up attention soon turned to invertebrates with a smart male Orange Tip butterfly seen on one of its larva plants (Cuckoo flower), a single Cinnabar moth and male Large Red and Blue-tailed Damselflies around the new pond and south end areas of the island.

(SRW (from over), DB, CJ, KMc+SD, MGT & PSW) [494-29] Photos by CJ (Orange Tip) and Black Guillemot (SRW)