16th May 2024

 Weather: ESE force 2    mist,   very mild for early morning. NW force 3 in the afternoon

 A beautiful morning with little breeze.

Just at dawn a Short-eared Owl flew south down the island and seem to be heading to land on Middle but a search proved fruitless and it was not seen again. The first round of the traps was also unrewarded but things seemed hopeful as 2 Sedge Warblers and later Willow Warbler were present, and Yellow Wagtail, Redpoll, Pied Wagtail and Siskin went overhead. One of the Sedge Warblers was caught and ringed.

A Puffin, quite rare at Hilbre although not the first this year, was seen flying west from a telescope in the obs garden. Six Jackdaws flew west high over the obs. A Collared Dove turned up and took to singing from the MOTUS aerial and was later joined by 2 local Swallows.

 

At one stage a Meadow Pipit mobbed the Dove after taking it for a Cuckoo. A male House Sparrow called around the island and being a scarce visitor pleased the members present. It eventually ended up in the obs garden mist net.

 

Six Goldfinches and a Siskin were here and a Lesser Redpoll was caught and ringed, while another in the mist net later turned out to be already ringed elsewhere (a control), watch this space for further details.

A Swift was seen in the morning and shortly afterwards another was heard very high overhead. An Osprey was noticed near the north end by Matt Thomas who was alerted by gulls being noisey. The obs was advised and the bird was seen to fly towards Red rocks and then circle over the Royal Liverpool Golf Course and disappear into the distant mist. Surely the weirdest bird of the day was this female Goldcrest which had an abnormally long bill, these things are found occasionally in many species and in most cases they seem to survive,

 

Six Eiders were off the west side early on and on the sea were 35 Gannets, 12 Guillemots, 25 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns and a summer plumaged Great Crested Grebe. Nine Little Egrets, a Grey Heron and 6 Ringed Plovers fed around the shore but few other waders  at this state of tide but a Grey Plover was at Little Eye on the early morning ebb.

A couple of Red Admirals and a Painted Lady were the main butterflies with Green-veined Whites the supporting cast. In the moth trap this morning were 8 Brown Silver-lines (there were also many dozens of these flying in the grassy places in the daylight), a Cockchafer Beetle, while other moths attracted were 3 Silver Y,  2 Marbled Coronet, a Red-green Carpet, a Common Carpet, a Purple Bar and a Netted Pug.

 A wonderful day on the island, especially with the Thrift now in full bloom.

 

 

Ringed: 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Lesser Redpoll ( plus a control), 1 Goldcrest

Photos: CJ, SRW

15th May 2024

 Weather: E force 3/4
Two of the most sought after passerines in spring were ringed this morning, first of all a Spotted Flycatcher.

 

  Later a Garden Warbler was ringed, it was our first sighting this year.

 Three Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff were also in the paddocks and passers by included a Yellow Wagtail, a White Wagtail, about 10 Swallows, 6 House Martins and a Swift. Single Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll represented the migrant finches. A male Greenland Wheatear on the island was also the only one of it's species. Ten Shelduck, a Common Scoter and 13 Eiders were logged,

 ..... while out on the sea were a Red-throated Diver, 14 Sandwich Terns and 24 Gannets. The pick of the waders was again the Whimbrel with 11 birds. A Peregrine paid the island a visit.

 

Butterflies were out and about again, 3 Red Admirals, 12 Green-veined Whites, a large White and a Small White.

 Ringed: 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler.

Photos SRW

 

14th May 2024

 Weather: ESE force 4  rain,  SE 5 by late afternoon.

A late start following the overnight rain which continued into the morning but then brightened up in the early afternoon.

It seemed quiet at first as was expected with the overnight rain but a search of the island revealed the presence of a Whinchat.

 

It was not alone as a Sedge Warbler had clearly arrived in the upper paddock and in addition a Grasshopper Warbler's song was heard near to the canoe club. This was very encouraging as no Willow Warblers nor Chiffchaffs were present. Three Greenland Wheatears were here again, while 2 White Wagtails and about 30 Swallows passed through, also 6 House Martins, but no finches (apart from Linnets). A band of rain which  came across Wirral but missed Hilbre itself brought an impressive 31 Swifts across the island

 

Just a single male Eider this morning, but 19 Shelduck including a flock of 12 were more than expected.

 

 Only 7 Whimbrel were counted with no other exceptional numbers of waders noted today. The Kestrel sighting was the first for quite a while. Thirty two Gannets and 4 Sandwich Terns were on the list. At least one pair of Blackbirds are very close to fledging.

 Ringing: 1 Whinchat.

Photos SRW

13th May 2024

 Weather: ESE force 3/4

A single Willow Warbler made it here today but no sign of any Whitethroats etc, although  2 male Greenland Wheatears were present.

Two House Martins and the second Swift of the year passed through and a Goldfinch and a Woodpigeon showed on the island. Other species noted were 6 Eiders, 5 Little Egrets, 7 Shelduck, 2 Common Scoter, 20 Sandwich Terns and 3 Whimbrel and a Sanderling among the waders. Bird of the day arrived at noon when a Short-eared owl flew east from Hilbre towards the north shore and then went low over the beach to Wirral. 

 Three frogs were seen scurrying through the grass.

Green-veined white butterflies are still on the wing, 3 today.

Ringed: 1 Linnet.

Photos SRW

12th May 2024

 Weather: ESE force 4     slight mist

The weather was similar to yesterday and the migrants also followed a similar pattern. The Swallows only numbered 9, about half of which will be residents here for the summer, 

 

All the martins however will be passing through the islands, 3 House and 7 Sand Martins.

Four Greenland Wheatears fed on the grassy areas, about the same number as the last few days (female below).

A Whitethroat was singing, probably the same as yesterday, and visitors included a Starling, 2 Redpolls and 4 Goldfinches. Willow Warblers still arrive, 4 today with 2 Chiffchaffs, also 2 Lesser Redpolls and 2 calling Yellow type Wagtails and a single White Wagtail with a deformed or growth affected foot. It will have travelled to reach here so can't be doing too badly.

There were not too many waders showing at the low tide, for example 19 Ringed Plover,  20 Sanderling, 480 Knot, 300 Dunlin, and 4 Whimbrel. A Peregrine visited, there were 5 Shelduck, 5 Eiders and a male Scoter around the island and 4 Little Egrets on the shore. Just 12 Sandwich Terns made the sea bird list. A warm day that brought out another 5 Green-veined White butterflies, and on the moths list were 7 Brown Silver-lines, a Bee moth and a flame carpet.

Ringed: 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs

Photos:  SRW

11th May 2024

 Weather: ESE force 4   slight mist,  SSE 3 in the afternoon.

 Another beautiful day, this time with a fresh breeze and there were just 2 Willow Warblers in the paddocks first thing. A Whitethroat was singing in the old obs later and a Skylark also singing at the south end. Three Greenland Wheatears, a Grey Wagtail, and a Goldfinch were logged and a Redpoll was ringed.

Several Swallows plus 5 Sand Martins and 3 House Martins completed the small migrants. Three Woodpigeons were noted, 2 seem to be nest building. Highlights of the day were in the early afternoon with a Marsh Harrier in off the sea and flying distantly down the estuary on the west side, and then a Short-eared Owl was flushed from the spouith west side of the island and flew east towards Red Rocks.

 

Quite a few butterflies today, 8 Green-veined Whites and a Red Admiral. The Fox left fresh evidence of it's presence. A summary of the waders included 420 Dunlin, 38 Ringed Plover, 79 Turnstone, 53 Sanderling and 19 Whimbrel. 

Twenty two Gannets were logged, also 2 Common Terns and a Little Tern, a first for the year at Hilbre. A single Common Scoter was about the island with the late staying Brent. There were 5 Eiders, 6 Little Egret and 2 Grey Heron. Blackbirds are busy now feeding their young. 

The Marbled Coronet although being one of the regular moths found in the trap was without doubt one of the best looking insects this morning.

 

 In the evening a Common Sandpiper was found in the Niffy bay area. 

 

 Ringed: 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Redpoll 

 Photos : CJW, SRW

10th May 2024

 Weather: ENE force 1  veering south east early morning

Another relatively quiet day despite the breeze being in the south east most of the morning. A Willow Warbler which became ringed was the only one here today but there were 3 male Whitethroats one of which also was ringed. 

Greenland Wheatears did better than the Willow Warblers, two of each sex were about the west side and north end. 

Apart from the breeding Linnets the only finches were a couple of Goldfinches and 8 Redpolls, 5 of which came in a group to the mist nets. Few Swallows again, mostly the local birds, but 2 Sand Martins visited the island. best of the waders were a flock of 100 Bar-tailed Godwits, plus about twenty more feeding on the north shore. Lower numbers of Whimbrel today, only about half a dozen seen. Five Eiders spent the low tide on the west hoyle bank, there were also 5 Mallard on the pond (including just one female) and the tardy Brent was in the gutter and then joined the Eiders to the west. Two Little Egrets and a Grey Heron fed about the islands. Very little on the sea, only 3 Sandwich Terns noted. May is a month of flowers at Hilbre and the Thrift is now in full bloom.

 The moth trap this morning was a little more productive than of late with the following:

Seraphim

 

 

Netted Pug

Silver Y ( with amazing camouflage)

From the moths released early this morning to events at the end of the day when towards midnight our members present had spectacular uninterrupted views of the aurora, starting with the view from the life boat house.

 

 

Ringed:  5 Lesser Redpolls, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackbird.

Photos: CJW, SRW