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

24th July 2025

 Weather: WNW force 3/4   with slight mist, W 3 late evening

Terns were in abundance this morning, 350 Sandwich and 13 Common, while many of the waders (650 Dunlin and particularly 12 Turnstone) were in fine summer plumage. Little Egrets excelled with 16 present as is often the case at this time of year. The Kestrel was here and the White Wagtail was still present. Some butterflies flew today in the fine weather, they were 10 Red Admirals (probably migrants), 2 Peacocks, 4 Green-veined Whites and 1 Small Tortoiseshell.

22nd July 2025

 Weather:  NW force 3

A very brief visit on Tuesday evening found lots of Black-headed Gulls around the islands, also a nice Mediterranean Gull. 

20th July 2025

 Weather: E 4 at dawn, then ESE 5 later in the morning

 A very early start  didn’t disappoint as large numbers of Manx Shearwater pass through as the tide rose, with birds travelling up river as far as WKML. 

  

 

 

 

At the end of the morning 512 Manx Shearwaters were counted, but just 22 Gannets and 3 Scoter were noted. Sandwich Terns meanwhile had good numbers of young roosting after tide, 420 was a conservative estimate.

 

Only 2 Common Terns were still about and the only Knot today flew with the Sandwich Tern flock.

 Passage birds included 14 Swift flying through.

 A single Yellow Wagtail came through and a White Wagtail was down on the island.

..and a juvenile Stonechat showed very well.

  Waders included 9 Whimbrel,

 

 and 5 Turnstone were resplendent in their summer plumage.

 

 

 Photos AEH

16th July 2025

 Weather: WNW force 2/3 

 A breezy but hot day on Hilbre meant once again insects were in abundance. Ten species of butterfly recorded with Essex Skipper being seen and photographed by Matt Thomas. 

 Other species included Large Skipper (photo),

Also Red Admiral and plenty of Common Blues - only 1 female of the latter was seen.

 

 A brief Hummingbird Hawkmoth was seen in Niffy Bay. A few Six-spot Burnet moths were still on the wings but not as many as recorded previously. Surprisingly the pond only hosted one species of Odonata - Blue-tailed Damselfly. The Rock Pipit colour ringing project continued with 4 new birds being added to the scheme and 2 colour ringed birds retrapped. 

 A juvenile Linnet was also ringed. Short-tailed Field Voles have been scarce this year so it was good to see one alive and a dead one caught by a female Kestrel that made an appearance and devoured it’s unfortunate prey on the chimney stack of Telegraph House.

Continuing the recent good number of records for Common Sandpiper another was disturbed at the south end slip over the high tide. 

 Many of the waders are beginning their return journey back from their breeding grounds with small numbers of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Whimbrel being noted. A real surprise were two juvenile Stonechats that were in the Obs garden and Gazebo garden first thing but then promptly disappeared! 

The female Eider and a male White Wagtail was still on the island and a single House Martin joined the local Swallows.

Photos PSW, (Essex Skipper, Matt Thomas) 

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