3rd August 2023

 Weather:  NNW force 3    mostly cloudy

 A benign feel to the the weather today, fairly calm and mild, A sea watch was made at lunch time and found a couple of Arctic Skuas, the first skua was going west and the second chasing a Sandwich Tern out towards the windfarm. Also noted were 10 Gannets and lots of terns, mainly 400 Sandwich. There was a small wader roost at the north end consisting of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and 2 of the 6 Whimbrel.

 

 

 A Black-tailed Godwit was a good find at the edge of the Gutter on the incoming tide but it soon flew off west and later 2 more were spotted on the East Hoyle on the ebb, again they flew west, while a single Bar-tailed Godwit was around the island all day. Near the end of the time on the island a Wheatear was found on Middle, it may hae been the same as the bird glimpsed early on. Two Kestrels were chasing each other on the island, one of which was clearly a juvenile. 

Only a small number of birds caught but they illustrated what we might expect at this time of year. There were 3 Wrens which were very young juveniless, their primary feathers will still be growing, they were clearly a brood that had fledged recently on Hilbre.

 

There was a Robin which had nearly finished its post juvenile moult and probably represented a bird undertaking post juvenile dispersal and had not bred on the island.

 

There was a juvenile Willow Warbler, really bright yellow, that represents one of the species that migrate through Hilbre in August.

 

The Rock Pipit represented the breeding bird population, it had finished breeding and the picture shows it well underway with its post breeding moult.

 

A Peacock butterfly was flying during the day.

 Photos JE, AS