22nd July 2014

Weather:- SW force 1 , then NNE force 2, sunny and hot
A Whitethroat was still around the obs garden, presumably the bird ringed here about 10 days ago. A female or immature Eider was off the island, also a female Scoter. Little Egrets numbered an impressive 12, and Whimbrel 10, and a good find were 7 Black-tailed Godwits, a typical date for these waders to appear on the east hoyle at Hilbre. Oystercatchers are now building up in numbers and amongst them was a leucistic individual on the reefs south of Middle. Counts were made of 35 Little Terns and 530 of larger species. Turnstones now number 11 back from their the breeding grounds.Three juvenile Dunnocks seen in the garden confirmed that they had bred on the island.
(DB)