2nd September 2023

 Weather:  E force 2  veering SE 2   sunny and warm

A beautiful day on the island with both the weather and a spread of good birds to please the obs members. Garden Warbler is a scarce bird at Hilbre which occasionally occurs in spring or at this time in autumn, but today however we were treated to 2 birds for ringing, which is even more pleasing.

 Another first for the year was a Tree Sparrow which was identified while calling in flight about the island with a small party of Linnets. Unfortunately it did not enter any of the traps and after being present for an hour or more it disappeared off the island.

Although we had many Goldcrests in the spring a bird that arrived in a mist net today was the first of the autumn and because it had not been heard or seen until then it was a bit of a surprise.

A new arrival Chiffchaff was also ringed. The only finch (apart from the Linnets) was a Greenfinch calling over, a typical autumn migrant but usually at a later date and very much scarcer in the last few years, this probably reflects a national trend of decline. Hirundines came through with about 20 or so Swallows, 4 House Martins and a Sand Martin. A number of Meadow Pipits passed through and a few Pied Wagtails were on the ground and 2 or 3 Robins were in the paddocks, with 3 Wheatears in the open areas.

During the high tide many small waders rested on the cliffs on the west side with an estimated 900 Ringed Plover, 2,500 Dunlin, 100 Sanderling and 50 Turnstone involved. During a detailed scan through the roosting birds a Ruff was discovered, a rare Hilbre bird with the few records usually of birds flying through.

 

 A Peregrine then flew in from the north and scattered the flocks.

 Ruff, centre of pictures

 

 

 After they resettled on the rocks, another scarce wader was spotted in the form of a Curlew Sandpiper.

 

 

A Sparrowhawk flew through the obs garden and offf towards the south and 2 Raven flew about the islands briefly. Earlier in the morning 3 Goosander flew passed and later another single did the same.

The Shag was still at the north end and the 2 female Eider were joined by the eclipse male for a while.

In addition to the Peregrine a Kestrel showed about the island.

During the wader watching a Ringed Plover with a leg flag was recorded. It is thought to have been ringed in Norway.

Insects did not disappoint, dragonflys included Emperor, Migrant Hawker and a Darter sp. and butterflies flying were about 10 Red Admirals, 6 Small Whites, a Comma and a Small Heath which are both scarce at Hilbre.

 Photos CJ, CJW,  SRW