31st March 2025

 Weather: SE force 2/3    some cloud early

Our first 4 Willow Warblers were found on the island  this morning.

 

 

 

Amazing what a touch of south easterly will do. The first last year arrived on exactly the same date, but normally it is into early April before we see them. A single Chiffchaff was also here.

 A fine looking Wheatear was down on the island.

 

A Goldcrest was still here, 5 Pied Wagtails were around but just 2 Goldfinches represented the finches today apart from the resident Linnets.

An adult male Peregrine was noted, also a Raven, and a largish Sparrowhawk flew between the islands and off towards Wales.

A single Canada Goose swam with 180 (plus a dark bellied) Brent Geese around the island.

 

Two flocks of Pinkfooted Geese totalling 70 flew out of the estuary this evening

 

Of the sea birds there were 3 Red-throated Divers, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Guillemot and 600 Common Scoter plus one close to the island.

 

 Seventeen Purple Sandpipers are still here, also 25 Ringed Plover etc.

Photos SRW

30th March 2025

 Weather: W force 6, moderating to force 4  with mist

 A blustery westerly meant no passerines to speak of, although 2 Sand Martin went east over the island and a Goldcrest was still present. The sea was also quiet with singles of Red-throated Diver, Great Crested Grebe and Guillemot. Two Kittiwake were at the mouth of the swash and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers flew west passed the North End. Wader counts were 30 Dunlin, 40 Ringed Plover, 5 Sanderling, 40 Redshank, 55 Knot, and 180 Turnstone.

 

 also 10 Purple Sandpiper

 

Photos AS

29th March 2025

 Weather:  SW force 3/5

 

 An early start was made with repairs to the heligoland traps in mind.

 

Birds on the island included a Goldcrest, a White Wagtail, a Siskin and 4 Goldfinches but little else but with records of sea birds rewarding some sea watching. There were 3 Red-throated Divers, 12 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Guillemots and 9 newly arrived Kittiwakes. Wader numbers seen were 85 Knot, 32 Dunlin, 48 Ringed Plover, 96 Turnstone and 28 Purple Sandpiper. There are still over 3,000 Oystercatchers present.

Floating around the islands were 285 Brent, while a lot further out 1,200 Common Scoter were logged. Three Red-breasted Mergansers included 2 males. A Harbour Porpoise swam off the island. Just after 11.00 hrs the partial solar eclipse was visible through the high cloud.

 The early moth trap revealed a Hebrew Character.

 

 Photos CJW, SRW
 

27th March 2025

 Weather: SSE force 2

 

An early visit found the island reasonably quiet, a Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff were here, possibly from previous days, a White Wagtail seemed to be new. Eight Rock Pipits are determined to spend the summer with us, including previously colour ringed birds.

 The many breeding Linnets are now in song.

 

Five Blackbirds were found this morning including this one perched on the motus aerial

 

The sea was productive again with 15 Red-throated Divers, 5 Gannets, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Guillemots and 12 Little Gulls. A single male Goosander and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers were around the islands with about 300 Brent Geese and 8 Shelduck. 

 Best of the waders were 25 Purple Sandpipers.

 others waders present were 320 Curlew, 125 Turnstone, 180 Sanderling and 150 Knot. 

 The ever present Redshank showed well as usual.

 About 15 Bumble Bees and a Peacock butterfly flew in the pleasant weather,

Photos AEH, SRW

26th March 2025

 Weather: SE force 1/2

 

The best sightings today were on the sea, especially the Velvet Scoter that flew west early in the day.  The first Sandwich Terns of the year flew in in three sets of two,

while 17 Red-throated Divers, 22 Great Crested Grebes and 9 Guillemots were noted with another 8 Little Gulls added to the spring total. 

 

Many wildfowl are still here including 220 Brent, 32 Shelduck, 8 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Goosander, while 3 and then another 2 Canada geese arrived.

A good count of 347 Curlew was made and there is still at least 70 Turnstone, 60 Redshank and 13 Purple Sandpiper.

A Peregrine was around and 3 Jackdaws were here with small migrants comprising a Skylark, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 2 Greenfinches and a Goldfinch. Lots of frogspawn was found in the main pond.
 

 

 

Photos SRW

 

23rd March 2025

 Weather: NW force 2,   misty with slight drizzle

 

A brief afternoon visit on a day when the wind turned towards the north west recorded 4 Redwings and a Chiffchaff, although it was a surprise to find 2 Goldcrests on the island, both of which were then ringed, it has been noticed over the years that Goldcrests can often arrive here when other migrants find a north westerly totally unsuitable.

 Logged this afternoon were 20 Meadow Pipits, 6 Rock Pipits, 300 Scoter, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.

Ringed: 2 Goldcrests

 Photos SRW, TGW

22nd March 2025

Weather:  SE 4   misty

Yet another good day for migration, present were 5 Chiffchaffs and 3 Wheatears. The finches were here again with 12 Goldfinch, 9 Lesser Redpolls, a Greenfinch and for a change a House Sparrow. Ten Pied Wagtails were noted and Woodpigeons came through again, 8 today. The Meadow Pipit passage continued with 350 birds moving. The sea was the most productive for some time with records of 18 Little Gulls (first of spring),

 

 also 35 Gannets, 47 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Guillemots and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers. Common Scoter off the north shore although gradually decreasing now were still estimated at 1,200. Four Little Egrets about the island were as many as there have been for some weeks now. The pale-bellied Brent were counted at 228 plus 2 dark-bellied individuals. On the wader front 31 Purple Sandpipers also exceeded the number seen recently, while other counts included 11 Bar-tailed Godwits, 200 Sanderling, 2,000 Knot, 300 Dunlin, 16 Grey Plover and 80 Turnstone. Some of the results from this mornings moth trap included the following:

 

Common Quaker

Clouded Dab

 

Early Grey

 

  Photos SRW, CJW

21st March 2025

 Weather: SE force 3,   mist around the estuary

 Another fine day on the island with pride of place going to a Black Redstart seen down the east side and eventually finding its way into the S K trap. As with the Puffin yesterday, Black Redstart is less than annual on the island, and indeed this is the first ringed since 2014

 

 Until that point the main players around the trapping areas were 5 Chiffchaffs, 11 Goldfinch, 4 Chaffinch, a Reed Bunting, 8 Robins, a Song Thrush and 15 Pied, 1 White and 1 Grey Wagtail. 

The movements of Meadow Pipits continue, 300 today. There were no Wheatears but several species were that often call here at this time of year as they move about in preparation for the spring. Sixty Lapwings flew west, 3 each of Jackdaw and Woodpigeon, a Collared Dove and a Rook (scarce at Hilbre). 

 

The Brent have not deserted us yet, there were 332 pale and 1 dark-bellied counted, 2 Shelduck, a pair of Mallard on the pond, just a single immature male Eider and 700 Common Scoter, a few of them were near the island. 

also spotted on the sea were 2 Red-throated Divers and 8 Great Crested Grebes. Among the waders were 30 Grey Plover, 25 Ringed Plover, 50 Sanderling, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 120 Turnstone and 7 Purple Sandpiper.

Ringed:  2 Chiffchaff, 2 Robins, 1 Wren, 1 Black Redstart.

Photo SRW