11th July 2025

 A very hot day on Hilbre and not much bird movement apart from a Swift that flew over mid-morning. Attention turned to invertebrates with 8 species of butterfly being recorded. Large Whites were the commonest but small numbers of Small Tortoisehell, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Green-veined White and Common Blue were recorded.

 

 A single Large Skipper was also seen but didn’t stay still long enough for a photo! Lots of Six-spot Burnet moths were nectaring on thistle and Birdsfoot Trefoil.

 

 Ringing activity focused on trying to catch and colour ring Rock Pipits as part of our long term project. Two new birds were added to the register with CBV being one of this year’s juveniles. CBX was ringed as a juvenile in July 2020 and subsequently recaptured a month later but there had been no further encounters.   

 

 

A real surprise was a very juvenile Wheatear caught & ringed.

 Harebells are flowering in the Obs garden and Common Centaury can be found in small patches around the island.

 

 A highlight of this time of year the building up of Sandwich Terns and there are now around 750 adults and juveniles on the sand banks on the east side. 

Photos PSW  

9th July 2025

 Weather: W force 4     warm and dry

 A visiting group were very pleasant and seemed to enjoy their afternoon with us. It was one of those lovely, warm Hilbre summer days with lots of Sandwich Terns (about 500) providing the sound track.

 A Gannet and 2 Common Scoter were also noted on the sea and 4 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron on the shore in addition to the female Eider.

 Six Curlew and 14 Grey Plover were the waders on the list. A Chiffchaff was the only warbler today although also present were 2 White Wagtails (1 juvenile) and a Pied Wagtail. The Chiffchaff became ringed as did one of the 40 or Linnets on the island, and a Wren. 

 and a Wren.

 

  Photos JE , AS

6th July 2025

 Weather: WNW force 4, rain at first, veering NW 4

As the morning tide came in 2 adult Mediterranian Gulls were spotted on the East Hoyle, one had a colour ring which was sadly too distant to read. The on-shore wind gave good opportunities for close pictures from the sea. Sixteen Gannets dived off the island.

 

 Sandwich Tern numbers have built up to about 200 now with some feeding young. 

 

 

 Also recorded on the sea were a single Common Tern, 8 Common Scoter and 5 Manx Shearwaters which flew east across the mouth of the swash, west of the island. Nine Little Egrets were counted and the best of the waders were 12 summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, 20 Curlew, 4 Ringed Plover and 300 Oystercatcher.

The 2 Eider noted were the flightless female which has been in the area for many years now and an eclipse plumage male. On the island 2 White Wagtails and 2 Goldfinches were noted, also a passing Greenfinch with about 40 breeding Linnets still showing.

 

Earlier before the tide a Peregrine was on the sands eating it's kill while later the female Kestrel was here, hunting the island voles.

 

A couple of the less common plants seen here today were the Sea Holly and some Glasswort. 

 

 Photos AEH

2nd July 2025

 Weather: NW force 4/5

 A brisk North Westerly today blew in  42 Gannets but no Shearwaters as they usually show here on south westerly winds. Others on the sea were a Common Scoter, 42 Gannets, 2 Great Crested Grebes, and a total of 256 Sandwich Terns. A female Goosander was a slight surprise, while the best of the few waders was a Greenshank, There were 4 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Herons and a Kestrel, and the the pair of Goldfinches showed off their single young.

1st July 2025

 

Weather: NW force 3

Highlight of the day were 3 Mediterranean Gulls. there was an adult summer and a first year summer on the shore and this second summer fly-over bird.  

Also present were 2 Gannets, a Great Crested Grebe, a Guillemot and 152 Sandwich Terns. The Sandwich Tern roost will now build up to a peak around lake August before many depart for Africa. There were no Swifts today but a single Sand Martin made it to the island.

Photo  AMC 

29th June 2025

 The wind had decreased overnight to force 2 with variable direction during the day. Three more Manx Shearwaters were sighted however in the aftermath of yesterdays birds, also 4 Gannets and 18 Sandwich Terns. Eleven Swifts passed by, and a Raven paid a visit to the island. Two of the Goldfinch family that bred on the island were seen.

28th June 2025

 Weather:   SW force 7 

A strong south westerly meant sea watching was the order of the day. A nice passage of 48 Manx Shearwaters was the final result. Other sightings included 42 Gannets, 4 Common and 4 Sandwich Terns, also 2 Great Crested Grebes. A mid-summer Whimbrel was a nice find. There were 9 Little Egret and the regular female Eider. The only 'migrants' were 19 Swifts.

27th June 2025

 Weather: NW    breezy

A quiet day birdwise with the highlight being a surprise Common Sandpiper see as the tide ebbed in Niffy Bay.

 

 Several Swifts passed over the island as did a group of 5 Sandmartins. A new juvenile Rock Pipit was  colour ringed as part of our ongoing project and there were good sightings of other colour ringed birds - including CAX which has previously only been seen once at Hoylake after being ringed in July last year but is now back breeding on Hilbre.

 

The sea was quiet with the only birds of note being the long staying female Eider & a flock of 20 Gannets. It was nice to see lots of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars on ragwort after a very poor year for them last year. 

Lots of Large White butterflies are on the wing and a single Skipper species was seen briefly in flight - probably Large Skipper. Rock Sea Lavender is currently flowering and the island is full of the purple flowers of this rare sub-species found only here and on Anglesey.

 Photos PSW

22nd June 2025

 Weather:  SW force 4

 The morning tide produced a few things of interest on the sea. There were 23 Gannets, a couple of Manx Shearwaters, a Guillemot also 68 Sandwich Terns, 50 Common Terns and a single Kittiwake. On the island a Chiffchaff was singing in the old obs and the pair of Goldfinches were still here, also the White Wagtail. A pair of Swallows seem to have 2 fledged young and several Rock Pipits and Blackbirds were feeding offspring. Two Swifts were passing visitors. After the early tide 6 Dunlin and a couple of Ringed Plovers sat on the shore sheltering from the wind between the islands.

 

Just the female Eider was present today. Despite the wind keeping them close to the ground a few butterflies were noted. There was a Small Tortoiseshell;

 and a Meadow Brown;

Others included 4 Red Admirals, 16 Large Whites and 4 Small Whites. Two 8 Spot Ladybirds added variety.

Photos CJW 

16th June 2025

 Weather: SW force 2,  SW 4/5 in the afternoon

Ten Swallow were recorded together over the island but 8 of them soon moved on, also making a brief appearance was a Kestrel, there hasn't been one about for some time.

The female Eider was about all morning then after tide an adult male turned up west of Middle Eye.

 Thirty Sandwich Tern fed to the east of the island after tide.

 

Seven Little Egrets and  3 Grey Herons were here while among the small residents at the moment are a White Wagtail, 6 Rock Pipits  and a Goldfinch.

 

 

A few butterflies included a Red Admiral, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Burnett moth. There was evidence again of the Fox.

Photos AS

9th June 2025

 Weather: WSW force 4 with mist, W3 with mist by afternoon. 

With a drop in the wind from yesterday fewer birds were noted on the sea but fortunately some  were close enough for photos with singles of Great-crested Grebe and Guillemot, 4 Common Scoter and 47 Gannet.

 A Common Tern was feeding in the Swash and 15 Sandwich Tern were about with some settling on rocks between the islands to preen.

A Curlew was heard calling but other than the 200 Oystercatcher present the only waders recorded today were 80 Ringed Plover by the reef.

 Six Little Egret fed in the Gutter after tide and 2 Grey Heron had roosted on Middle.

 

Photos AS

 

8th June 2025

 Weather: W force 5/6

 A seawatch today did not produce large counts but there was more variety than of late with records of 7 Manx Shearwater, 2 Kittiwakes, an Arctic Skua, 44 Gannets, 2 Great Crested Grebe, 16 Common Scoter and 3 Red-breasted Merganser that went west passed the north end. On the reef south of Middle were 110 Ringed Plover and 60 Dunlin. As it is mid-summer a count of only 220 Oystercatcher was about normal.

 Land birds around the island were 5 Rock and 5 Meadow Pipits, 3 Blackbirds, a pair of Pied Wagtails and a Goldfinch. 

 

 The regular female Eider was here together with 2 Grey Herons and 6 Little Egrets. 

 There was evidence again of the presence of the fox.

Photos AS 

2nd June 2025

 Weather: WNW force 3/4,  by evening NW 2/3   

The sea was very quiet today with just 2 Sandwich Tern seen but a Fulmar unusually flew up the east side of the island, normally we see them on the west side where they are considered to be 'prospecting' the cliffs. Sightings of Fulmar in general have become rarer in recent years.

 

Two male Mallard were on the pond, a single Shelduck was recorded and a female Eider came up the Gutter with the tide.

Waders about the island included 33 Ringed Plover, 2 Turnstone, 45 Dunlin and 50 Oystercatcher. Both the male and female White Wagtail were in Niffy Bay, Little Egret had increased to nine.

 Photos AS