Sunday 30 June 2019

30th June 2019


Weather: W force 2
A Magpie was the only unexpected visitor to the island today, although there were 2 passing Swifts. Lepidoptera included 4 Painted lady, 3 Red Admiral, a Silver Y and a Plume moth. Six juveniles were amongst the 200 Black-headed Gulls gathered about the island chain. Nine Shelduck and 2 Little Egrets were on the shore, while sea going species seen were 3 Gannets and 25 Sandwich and 20 Common Terns. A male Kestrel was on the island, but the finest sight is still the Pyramidal orchid flowering.


Ringed: 1 Wren       [568-30 ]

Saturday 29 June 2019

29th June 2019


Weather: warm and sunny
What a great day, it could have been spring if you just look at the bird species that turned up but when you saw their ages and took the dragonflies and butterflies into account it had to be summer. 
Collared Dove, Magpie, Kestrel and Whitethroat turned up. As well as Linnets, Wrens and Meadow pipits a Blackcap and a male Redstart was ringed, the Redstart just starting his post breeding moult.
A Scoter and the Eider loafed at the north end as the tide came in, sharing it with some gulls and seals.
There was a passage of painted ladies, at least 30 but it could have been twice that. There were a lot of Red Admirals also. A Red-veined Darter dragonfly was at the south end and three Emperor dragonflies were present including this on the netting one of the traps.
The Swallows in Gus Lowe’s were doing well, but the nest in the lookout fared less well, although they seem to have re-laid. . 
The Pyrmidal Orchid was splendid in the sunshine.

 A Grey seal looking back at you is a common sight at high tide.
Ringed: Blackcap, Redstart, and 8 others.   [ 567-30 ]
photos JE

Friday 21 June 2019

21st June 2019

Weather: NW force 3
Young Meadow Pipits are now about the island, and one was ringed this morning.

It appears the Swallows may be stuggling with the conditions lately, at least one nest seems to have failed.   The female eider was at the north end with some oystercatchers.

The oystercatchers moved to roost on the beach as the tide came in.
 A Common Sandpiper was also seen (per Matt Thomas)
 Ringed: 1 Meadow Pipit    [ 557-30 ]
 photos JE

Tuesday 18 June 2019

18th June 2019

 Weather: SSW force 2
There were 9 Swallows today including a fledged juvenile. The male Common Scoter and the female Eider seem to be summering here. Two Gannets and 2 Sandwich and 4 Common Terns were seen, also 2 Little Egrets. Three Painted Ladies were on the wing.

Sunday 16 June 2019

16th June 2019

Weather:  ESE force 2/3
Wildfowl present included the female Eider, 4 Shelduck and 2 wandering Greylag Geese. Flocks of 10 and 16 Starlings were unexpected at this time of year. A Fulmar paid a visit, as sometimes happens in spring. Twenty Sandwich Terns and 2 Common Terns completed the sea birds.


Saturday 15 June 2019

15th June 2019

Weather: SE force 4, cool
Not much happened over the tide although the female eider with the damaged wing spent the tide at the south end and part of the time she shared it with a cormorant.

The 2 male Eiders and another female did fly passed the north end and 2 Shelduck spent the tide sitting on the sea. A few sandwich terns passed through also. A surprise find on Hilbre this morning was a migrant, albeit a Painted Lady butterfly.
There was a lot of breeding activity as well as  the Linnets: Meadow Pipits were displaying; the swallows eggs had not hatched yet which was a good thing considering the lack of insects. Two adult and 2 juvenile Linnets were ringed.
 Two Crows roosted by the SK.
Ringed; 4 Linnets      [ 556-30 ]
photos JE

Friday 14 June 2019

14th June 2019

Weather: NW force 2    light rain

The Common Scoter was still about, also noted were 3 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Little Egrets. Other species showing in the rain were 21 Linnets, 2 Swallows and a Pied Wagtail.




Sunday 9 June 2019

9th June 2019

Weather: SW force 1
Best visitor of the day was a Collared Dove, most other birds seen were more predictable: 3 Shelduck, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 8 Wrens, 4 Pied Wagtails and 11 Meadow Pipits.

Friday 7 June 2019

7th June 2019

Weather: SE force 1   cloudy
A brief visit this morning established that the female Eider was still present. A single Goldfinch was the only 'migrant', and wader numbers were understandably low: just single Curlew and Bar-tailed Godwit and 200 Oystercatchers. Three Mallard were on the island, 86 Cormorants were counted and a male Common Scoter and 2 Common Terns were off the north end. Three Little Egrets, a Grey Heron and 2 Shelduck were also listed.

Thursday 6 June 2019

6th June 2019

Weather: SW force 1/2
A maintainance visit to the observatory this morning included a quick look around for birds and 10 Canada Geese were noted, also 12 Sandwich and 6 Common Terns, 2 Shelduck and 2 Little Egrets.

Wednesday 5 June 2019

5th June 2019


Today was no repeat of 10 years ago on this date when the Paddyfield warbler was a surprise visitor to the island, (below) 
The only ringing available today were 2 adult Linnets and a Meadow Pipit, all breeding birds, as was a Dunnock with a brood patch which was first ringed in 2018.
  There were lots of field voles, 12 were counted, and lots of juvenile frogs. 
A survey of the island confirmed that there were at least 3 Swallows nests.
A mammoth sea watch found 80 Gannets, 2 Manx Shearwaters, a few terns, some Great Crested Grebes but it was otherwise not very rewarding. The female eider with the damaged wing turned up after the tide.
Ringed: 2 Linnets, 1 Meadow Pipit.      [ 552-30 ]
photos JE

Sunday 2 June 2019

2nd June 2019

Weather: SSW force 4    drizzle
An early morning pre tide visit was duly awarded with x2 Puffin passing the North end heading West closely followed by a dark phase Arctic Skua which spent an hour harrying Common Terns around the West Hoyle bank. A single Gannet was also seen. The female Eider was still present as was several Little Egret feeding below the Obs.
Twenty Ringed Plover feed south of Middle Eye nowhere near the large numbers present earlier in the week.

Three Shelduck were noted, are they breeding ?
 Defineitely breeding were Pied wagtails and Swallows.

Twelve  Black-headed Gulls were recordedthis morning.
 photos AEH

Saturday 1 June 2019

1st June 2019

Weather: no discernable wind early, ESE force 2 later on. warm and overcast.

Two Dunlin in summer plumage seemed to be the only migrants this morning.

The main interest were the breeding birds. The Pied Wagtails have now fledged. One of the male Linnets trapped was first ringed in 2015, it was a male but unusually had little or no red plumage showing.

Five juvenile Linnets were also ringed this morning, also an adult female Robin with a brood patch, which seems to indicate that once again they have been breeding secretly.



The Airbus transport ship came in to Mostyn and was the most impressive sight on the sea as only a few terns, several Cormorants and a Common Scoter were seen today.
 Ringed: 5 Linnets, 1 Robin       [ 549-30 ]
 photos JE