Weather: light breeze, variable direction, frost early before sun.
With no discernible wind direction, this morning was entirely unpredictable, but in the event there was no passage of Meadow Pipits,Wheatears, Chiffchaffs or Goldcrests (except for one mid-morning) and we had to be content with the odd visitor from the mainland.
A Reed Bunting (right)) appeared in the obs garden early on, and later a female House Sparrow (below) landed briefly in the heli garden.
A Magpie was on the island very early and another came in to stay longer about 09.00, and was eventually caught for ringing by some judicious baiting of the heligoland traps. Surprisingly this became only the 3rd Magpie ringed at Hilbre in all those years, the other 2 were in 2000 and 2006.
Also noted (passing over the islands) were 3 Goldfinches, 2 Chaffinches and 2 Pied Wagtails, while a roaming flock of 24 Linnets may have contained some of the local breeding birds. Two un-ringed Rock Pipits (below right) were at the north end at the same time. A Merlin sat for a while on the rocks to the west of Middle Eye.
A Goldeneye flew south down the west side early in the day and 9 Red-breasted Mergansers were out by the west hoyle, but the chief event on the sea was the sighting (obs member AMC+KD) from the east hoyle tide edge of a Surf Scoter amongst the 10,000 or so Common Scoters out towards the wind farms. The bird
was too distant to be seen from the island but was probably just outside the Hilbre recording area and will no doubt become the first to be 'accepted' for Cheshire and Wirral following a drake seen flying west close inshore off the North End of Hilbre on 23rd November 1969 was not submitted to BBRC - JCG et al.
Two Mallards rested on the main pond and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was the first this year on the island.
Ringed: 1 Magpie, 1 Robin [ 40-13 ]
(DB,AEH,CJ,KMc+SD)
Photos AEH (magpie in hand),CJ (others)
(PSW & SRW) Photos SRW 
Very little movement today despite the apparently ideal weather, a new Song Thrush was found in the paddocks, a Goldcrest dropped in later (left), and a Wheatear was about the north end. A small flock of Meadow Pipits passed through mid-morning, also a couple of Pied Wagtails. Counts from the early ebb tide were as follows: 390 Curlew, 220 Shelduck, 250 Redshank, 85 Grey Plover, 15 Sanderling. Ten Purple Sandpipers were feeding at the north end. A flock of 40 Common Scoter flew east on the sea, and 2 of the 6 Great Crested Grebes on the sea were displaying to each other.
Today was mainly
about maintenance with repairs being carried out to the west side wire mesh on
the SK trap and cutting back of some of the Blackthorn. 
With the northerly element to the wind this morning, a much quieter day, with single Stock Dove, Redwing and Wheatear the only migrants, while the Stonechat still finds Middle Eye to its liking. The Brent were counted at 167, so some may be starting to trickle north. Kestrel and Peregrine were both present today, as was our old friend the rabbit. Frog spawn was much in evidence in the old obs garden (right).AEH12.3.15A.jpg)
AEH12.3.15A.jpg)
Today was Web’s count
day and although initially wet and windy the forecasters got it right as
the weather cleared around midday. There was plenty of activity on the sea with
thousands of Common Scoter flying around in small groups. Highlights for the
WeB’s count were 2 pairs of Red-breasted merganser, a flock of 8
Goldeneye (2 males & 6 females) and a small party of 3 Scaup (2 males
& 1 female). A single Red-throated Diver was recorded. There was a decrease
in wader numbers seen around the islands but 12 Purple Sandpipers roosted above
the tide gauge (below). Around high tide an
increase in Robin numbers was noted and 4 were eventually caught and ringed
along with a female Blackbird. 
