Weather: SW force 2/3 N 1/2 after the tide
A lovely sunny morning and warm even early on, and a slight southerly aspect in the wind brought the hint of the odd migrant to the island. A Greenland Wheatear was present and a Chiffchaff was captured for ringing, a small female.
Five Goldfinches passed through and a small number of Swallows joined the residents that were feeding. A definite non-breeder here was a Magpie flying in to the island.
A lot of interest today was in the Rock Pipits on the island, which have now been breeding here recently after a long period of absence. We retrapped 3 Rock Pipits all in breeding condition. One was ringed in 2021 as an adult, another was ringed in 2021 as a juvenile and the 3rd one was ringed this year, another adult. Good to see juveniles able to take their place in the island’s breeding colony.
The Rock Pipits were alarm calling as they probably now have young.
There were plenty of linnets about and we considered that the number of breeding birds is likely to be significantly higher than in previous years. There is plenty of seed for the high Linnet population with the Buck's-horn Plantain in flower.
Four Eiders showed up again today (3 males, one of them immature and a female). One of the 2 male Mallards was sitting on a roof.
The golf course looks ready for the open
with all sorts of temporary buildings in place and Trinity House had a boat out
on the west side surveying the buoys.
All taking place as the flowers blossomed on Hilbre.
Photos JE, AS, SRW
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