30th September 2025

Weather: SSE force 3    backing SW 4 during the morning

 A quieter day than yesterday but early in the morning there were 4 Teal and 26 of the 32 Wigeon seen today.

 

Two Rooks (unusual at Hilbre) went over Little Eye. 

  

 Three Goosander were in the same area, plus another in the pool between the main islands.

A passing male adult Peregrine sat on the reef south of Middle for a few minutes before flying south.

 

Flocks of 250 and 96 Pinfooted Geese flew south over the mainland while a feature on the sea early on were 30 or so Gannets many feeding close to the north end. 

Six late Sandwich Terns were also attracted to the north of the island.

 

 

A later sea watch found a good variety of birds: 8 Red-throated Divers, 15 Razorbills, 8 Guillemots, 18 Great Crested Grebes and 1,200 Common Scoter. Brent numbered 71 included a dark-bellied individual, 5 Eider (4 male) flew west distantly passed the north end. About the island were 8 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Herons and a Shag at the north end sitting with a Cormorant.

Wader numbers were sparse at the low tide but there were over 100 Redshank feeding in the gutter and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits fed on the east hoyle. The Kestrel on the island was joined briefly by a Sparrowhawk arriving on the west side. Ten Crows gathered beyond the gutter and 3 more flew over towards Wales. Signs of migration were minimal with only 5 Robins today compared with the last few days although 2 Chiffchaffs called in the obs garden and 6 Wheatears arrived, mostly liking the northern half of the island.

 

A small passage of Meadow Pipits filtered in and 3 Pied Wagtails were seen. A porpoise was spotted swimming west to the north of the island.

Ringed: 1 Wren,

Photos: AS, CJ, SRW 

29th September 2025

 Weather: SE force 3 and later in the morning SSE with no discernable force

A very good day with 7 Chiffchaffs and 4 Goldcrests, a passage of Meadow Pipits, and 14 Skylarks, with 1 landing on the island.

 

 ... also a  Chaffinch (scarce lately), 4 Goldfinches, 4 Wheatears and 10 Robins. A Jackdaw visited overhead.

 ......and 2 Ravens landed near Little Eye. 

 

 Lots of wildfowl were about too, 93 Brent included a dark-bellied bird, 

  

Flocks containing 139 Wigeon and  21 Pintail arrived. (Mixed flock below)

  also 3 Wigeon and a Shoveler (scarce here). 

Many of the duck were on the tide edge south of Middle. Others here were 15 Shelduck, and 6 Goosander. On the sea were 45 Razorbills, 34 Red-throated Divers, 7 Great Crested Grebes and 18 Guillemots. Waders featured 650 Black-tailed Godwits flocking south west of the islands, 175 Curlew, 126 Redshank, 25 Ringed Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Sanderling. There were 13 Little Egrets and 3 Grey Heron. A Peregrine sat on Tanskey rocks and the Kestrel of course was still here.  

Ringed:  2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 2 Robins. One of the 4 Goldcrests present wore a British ring from elsewhere.

 

Later enquiries proved that the Goldcrest was ringed at Bagiilt (North wales)

 The Slavonian Grebe with many admirers continued to inhabit the marine lake.

 Photots AS, SRW 

28th September 2025

 Weather: WSW force 3

 The mornings are getting later now and this Curlew, one of 20 gives a striking picture.

 Two Chiffchaffs this morning,

 ...... and 4 Goldcrests, a few more than recently.

 

 There was again a passage of Meadow Pipits and about 30 Linnets roamed the island, also a Wheatear and a Grey Wagtail. A Raven was a visitor to the island while wildfowl included 42 Brent, 9 Wigeon, 8 Shelduck, a Common Scoter, a Mallard and an immature Goosander.

Ringed Plover were numerous again, 200 estimated which apart from the Oystercatchers were the most waders seen. Our Kestrel sat on the newly erected wind vane on top of the lookout and also bathed in the pond.

 

 

On the verge of our area, the West Kirby marine lake often hosts good birds and today a Slavonian Grebe fed well on the calm water, despite the weekend lake users and the attentions of 'twitchers'.

 

 

 Photos AEH, SRW

27th September 2025

 Weather: SE force 3/4  cloudy

 Not as much arriving as yesterday despite the cloud. Three Chiffchaffs and 3 Wheatears were the highlights.

A few dozen Meadow Pipits were passing through the island. Nine Rock Pipits remain here, some colour ringed in our Hilbre scheme.

Of the 52 Brent seen today only one was a juvenile/first winter, (middle bird below) the first recorded here this year. This could be an indication of a poor breeding season, we shall see.

An immature Goosander and a male Common Scoter were the only other wildfowl this morning. There were 4 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons, a few waders such as 50 Redshank, 25 Ringed Plover, 30 Curlew, 22 Turnstone and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits. Not so many gulls about today either, 300 Herring, 80 Black-headed, 1 Common, 4 Lesser Black-back and 1 Great Black-back which was on the whaleback. 

Ringed: 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Wren.

Photos SRW  

26th September 2025

 Weather: E force 2    later SE   slight mist around the coast

It's always a good day when a Yellow Browed Warbler is caught for ringing, even if they are not quite so rare as they used to be. It was in the 'heli' trap just before 8.00hrs. At one time we could almost be certain of an October arrival for this species but lately occurances have been earlier here and elsewhere in the country. All this does not detract from the smart appearance of this siberian vagrant (or should it be scarce migrant now).

 

 Because of the expansion of records recently the B.T.O has organised a colour ringing scheme to try and discover the route these birds are taking, why are so many no longer heading towards the Indian region in the autumn? are they establishing a new wintering area? Hilbre is a part of this scheme and so attached colour rings to this bird. It was released close to the obs but was not seen again on the island, but maybe it will be seen elsewhere. The day had started off with promise with a few Chiffchaffs about and a male Stonechat on the old obs bushes. 

 It was a good day all round, 6 Wheatears made it to the island, one of them wondered which way to go next!

 
The Chiffchaffs kept arriving during the day with an estimated 20 all told, most of which dropped in during the afternoon, which is most unusual on migration days, the arrival of cloud from the west was probably the main reason.

 Two Goldcrests were also in the paddocks. Meadow Pipits came through in 3 figure numbers and 8 Robins ticked about the paddocks and gardens, and singles of Goldfinch and Swallow were logged. The calm sea was quiet, with little seen apart from 40 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and 2 Great Crested Grebes, meanwhile the usual waders were here for the tide, and 14 Little Egrets and 3 Grey Herons fed on the shore. In the afternoon 330 Pinkfooted Geese flew east and a redhead Goosander landed in the pool between the islands where it has been on other days. Six Red Admirals, a Small Copper and a Painted Lady enjoyed the sunshine. 

 

Ringed: 10 Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow Browed Warbler, 1 Goldcrest.

Photos CJ, SRW

25th September 2025

 Weather: SE force 2    NNW 1 at 14.00hrs   sunny all day

A clear sky all last night meant little was expected to be held up on their migration. Pink-footed Geese came in from the north east and down the west of the Dee, 54 birds, and while watching them a keen eyed observer spotted a large bird of prey circling out in the direction of the wind farms. It turned out to be yet another Marsh Harrier sighting for the autumn. A Song Thrush was soon seen in the paddocks, the first here this autumn.

 Single Chiffchaff and Goldcrests called in the gardens, as did about 8 Robins, there have been many here this last week or so. There were a small trickle through of Meadow Pipits, a couple of Pied Wagtails and 6 Goldfinches. A flock of 20 Linnets roamed the island. A surprise find in the obs garden net was a female Blackcap.

 An immature Peregrine came down east side spooked a few Oystercatchers on north end of middle but showed no interest in them and powered south.

 A late single Swallow also drifted south. The Kestrel was on Middle soon after dawn.  Brent Geese are at 79 individuals at the moment, they have arrived rapidly this autumn. Sixty two Shelduck were present and 450 Scoter way out to sea.  A Snipe was flushed from north of the grass cut near the old obs, a sign of autumn, and numbers of some waders are increasing such as 180 Ringed Plover, but only a few of others were seen, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Sanderling for instance. On the sea 4 Red-throated Divers and 16 Great Crested Grebes rested on the calm water, also 2 Guillemots. The Weasel thats been about for a while now appeared in the south east corner of the obs garden.

 Red Admirals are still arriving on the island, there were 12 today. 

 Ringed: 1 Song Thrush, 1 Blackcap, 1 Robin. 

Photos SRW