12th August 2025

 Weather: ENE force 0/1 mist around the estuary,  ESE 3 in the afternoon

First thing this morning a Goldcrest was calling in the SK paddock, also a Wheatear was seen near the north end but did not stay for long and at least 3 Willow Warblers were in the area of the obs garden.

There were spots of rain intermittently in the morning but failed to drop in any more new migrants, although there was a moulting Robin skulking in the pittosporum bush in the obs garden. 

 There are still many juvenile birds about including an alba wagtail.......

 

.... and 2 of the 4 Meadow Pipits noted today. 

The flock of small waders around the island is increasing now as the autumn progresses with 500 Ringed Plover, 300 Dunlin and singles of both Knot and Sanderling west of the slipway. Four Grey Heron roosted on Middle.

Photos AS

11th August 2025

 Weather: SE force 2   NW 0/1 late evening

In a very quiet day a Sprrowhawk drifting west high over the swash was just about the highlight for the observer. The other raptor present today, the Kestrel chased a Linnet over the island but failed to catch it.

 Thanks to 2 unleased dogs spending the tide on Middle, there was no wader roost. Instead various roosts formed down the west side of the main island where there were 170 Dunlin, 130 Ringed Plover and 5 Sanderling. Oystercatchers (3,000) mainly gathered in front of the marsh and 80 Curlew with 2 Bar-tailed Godwits stayed on the east hoyle. Three Whimbrel included 2 flying over Middle and 2 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron fed around the island. Twenty Sandwich Tern was the main sea sighting with 2 male Scoter on the island near the north end.

 The regular passerines on the island this month were still here: 22 Linnets, 6 Rock Pipits, 3 Meadow Pipits, 5 Wrens, 5 Swallows, 2 Blackbirds and the 2 Goldfinches.

Photos CJ 

10th August 2025

 Weather: SW force 3 backing NNW  2 by mid afternoon

 A Wheatear spent the morning along the west side of the island.

There were no warblers however, but 7 Swallows were about and 2 House Martin joined them briefly, a Skylark passed overhead and the 2 Goldfinch were being very vocal around the Old Obs garden.

 Seventy Dunlin and 42 Ringed Plover chose the west side for their roost.

 while 18 Redshank roosted in Niffy Bay along with 13 Turnstones.

 The waders were completed by 15 Curlew and 4 Whimbrel. The disturbance to the flocks was not helped by people on the 2 smaller islands at high tide, and definitely not by 3 hang-gliders. Some breeders are still on the island in addition to the 2 Goldfinches: the Woodpigeon, a couple of Meadow Pipits, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Pied Wagtails and several Rock Pipits.

 The Kestrel is still here and showing well.

Also present today were 3 Little Egrets, 60 Sandwich Terns and 2 male Common Scoter.

Photos AS 

9th August 2925

 Weather: SW force 3, increasing 5 by 08.00

 A touch of south in the wind brought a migrant Wheatear to the island, a welcome visitor, although a few warblers would also have been nice. The Grey Seals that haul out on the west hoyle bank are counted as a matter of routine, there were 225 this morning at low tide.

 

 Rock Pipits (12 counted) seem to have had more broods which is pleasing.

 The wagtail here could be an alba following the pair ofWhite Wagtails here over the summer.

 Four Grey Herons were seen and the 6 Little Egrets probably included the colour ringed one seen previously, although both rings were not seen. 

 

 Six Gannets were noted, also 80 Sandwich Terns and the Shag resting on the island.

 Some waders this morning included 35 Dunlin, 19 Ringed Plover, 22 Curlew and  8 Whimbrel.    Sea Spleenwort  is quite scarce but is a speciality on the cliffs at Hilbre.

 

Photos CJW 

8th August 2025

Weather: WSW force 4,  W 5 by noon 

The sea was the most productive today in the fresh westerly wind, recorded were: 6 Gannets, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Guillemots, 100 Sandwich and 1 Common Tern, 12 Common Scoter and 3 passing Manx Shearwaters. One of the Shags here the last few days was found dead at the north end, the other was feeding at the south end. Six Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons also fed about the islands. Eighty Dunlin and 40 Ringed Plover showed today. Seen on the islands were 7 Rock Pipits, 2 Linnets and 2 Swallows. In addition to the Kestrel a Peregrine showed up for the observers.

7th August 2025

 Weather: SSW 4 veering W during the morning with some rain.

Another Common Snadpiper turned up on the island today, which was probably the best record of the day. Other waders about were 32 Ringed Plover, 28 Redshank, 22 Dunlin, 10 Curlew, 8 Turnstone and 3 Whimbrel. Five Grey herons were more than of late, while 2 Little Egrets were here and 200 Sandwich Terns were counted. The Kestrel enjoyed a vole for lunch. A Willow Warbler was the sole small migrant. Two Small Tortoiseshell and a Small white butterfly flew despite the weather.

Ringed: 1 Linnet

5th August 2025

 Weather: W force 8

Storm Flores blew up a gale this morning but the expectation of many good seabirds was not justified. A single Manx Shearwater and a single Gannet were noted but there was little else apart from 4 Scoter and 200 Sandwich Terns.

 

For the observer at Hilbre however 4 Little Terns put on a show feeding in the gutter for an hour after the tide. 

 

A good number of gulls including 600 Herring gulls were on the Razorshell wreck on the East Hoyle. The few passerines about including the Woodpigeon, one or 2 Pipits and 2 Goldfinches kept low in the wind. A single Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Whimbrel were the pick of the waders. Two little Egrets were on the shore.

 

 Photos AS 

4th August 2025

 Weather: W force 6/7

 A steady movement of Gannets and terns in the strong westerly with 185 Sandwich and 12 Common Terns counted. Two Common Scoter were there and 2 Shags perched on the rocks to the west of the sea hide. Among the waders were 25 Dunlin, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Whimbrel and a Bar-tailed Godwit. The 2 Goldfinches were on the island, also 2 Rock Pipits, a Pied Wagtail, 2 Swallows and 3 Linnets. The Kestrel is here plus shore birds noted included 2 Little Egrets.

3rd August 2025

 Weather: SW force 4,  increasing force 6 with some rain mid-morning

 Two Willow Warbler migrants were the only new small birds here this morning.

There were quite a few breeders still around however including a couple of juvenile Swallows among the 7 present.

Ten Rock Pipits on the islands included a brood of 4 unringed birds at the north end, 3 adult Blackbirds were noted.

 Others in the gardens/paddocks were 2 Goldfinches, a Meadow Pipit and a Robin in addition to the forty or so Linnets. The late sitting Woodpigeon still keeps an eye on the visitors.

Sandwich Terns amount to about 300 today, also a Common Tern. A couple of Common Scoter showed well on the rocks.

 

 The most interesting of the gulls was this Black-headed Gull between Little and Middle Eye that was originally ringed in Northern Island in 2015.

 A hundred Ringed Plover was a good number and 2 Whimbrel were here with 2 Bar-tailed Godwit.

 

also 30 Redshank.

There were 6 Little Egret and 4 Grey Heron, while the female Kestrel hunted the island.

Photos AEH
 

2nd August 2025

 Weather:  NW force 4

 The moth trap overnight produced a number of good records as follows: 

 

Willow Beauty

 

 

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix

  A Brimstone moth was added to the list later. Birds were fairly scarce this morning although the Woodpigeon was still here of course and there were 8 Wrens, 3 Blackbirds, 8 Rock Pipits, 28 Linnets and 12 Meadow Pipits.

 

Sea and shore birds included 100 Sandwich and 2 Common Terns, 2 Common Scoter,  4 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Whimbrel and 22 Ringed Plover.

Photos CJW 

1st August 2025

 Weather: NW force 3

 

 A late evening journey to the island found a few waders around on the ebb tide: 40 Ringed Plover, 120 Redshank, 10 Turnstone, 25 Curlew and a single Whimbrel. Before the light faded 2 Little Egrets were seen also a Grey Heron and a few of the breeding birds such as Meadow and Rock Pipit, Wrens and Blackbirds.

Photo CJW 

31st July 2025

 Weather: NNW force 2/3

There were 2 Willow Warblers today, with the right weather hopefully we should have a large fall soon ! A juvenile Robin today, probably bred on the island, we seldom supect them before they fledge. The adult Pied Wagtail and the 2 Goldfinches are still here, also 2 Swallows and 2 Blackbirds. Rarest breeding bird for Hilbre is a Woodpigeon, still on the nest. Among the waders were 4 Ringed Plover and 3 Whimbrel, also on the shore are 2 Little Egrets. A Common frog was noted and invertebrates included a Common Blue bitterfly and 4 Large Yellow Underwing moths.

Ringing: 1 juvenile Robin, 1 Willow Warbler 

30th July 2025

 Weather: NNW force 2/3,  rain clearing then W 4 later

A Willow Warbler was on the island and 2 Sand Martins came through while the regular breeding birds included the 2 Goldfinch, adult Pied Wagtail and adult Robin. A single Black-tailed Godwit would be one of the first here on Wirral for the autumn, a couple of their Bar-tailed cousins and 3 Whimbrel were the best of the other waders. A Common Seal hauled out with 292 Grey Seals and just 60 Sandwich Terns were here today. The Kestrel was about the island. A Red Admiral and a Small White were the only butterflies noted.

25th July 2025

 Weather: SW force 2

The slight southerly element in the wind this morning brought the first Willow Warbler of the autumn to be ringed on the island. There were 400 Sandwich and 4 Common Terns and the female Eider showed up. Others here were 9 little Egrets, 2 Grey Herons, 150 Dunlin, 6 Turnstones while passerines noted included 68 Linnets, 3 Blackbirds, 6 Meadow Pipits and 8 Rock Pipits. The moth trap this morning was a worthwhile exercise with a long list of species.

 

Southern Wainscot

Buff Tip

 

Antler Moth

 

True Lovers Knot

 

Scarce Footman

Wormwood Pug

 Photos CJW