15th March 2021

 Weather: WNW force 3/4  mist around the estuary

Three Eiders (2 males and a female) flew in from the Hoylake direction early morning to settle at the north end of the island. A Peregrine with a fresh kill to the east of Hilbre was pestered by the Carrion Crows which kept pulling it's tail ! 

 

 Two Rock Pipits were at the north end of both Middle and the main island, hopefully boding well for breeding attempts this year. The large high tide saw 16 Purple Sandpipers resting and produced records of 3,000 Oystercatchers, 47 Curlew, 128 Turnstone, 26 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Plover, although the entire gathering of birds roosting at the north end of Middle were naturally disturbed when the coastguard helicopter landed to evacuate an injured visior stranded there by the tide.

No Little Gulls were sighted today, but 8 Red-throated Divers, 5 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Guillemots were. A larege number of gulls were on the east hoyle bank including about 2,000 Herring Gulls.

14th March 2021

Weather: W force 7, then WNW 7/8 with some rain at noon 

Ten Little Gulls were seen from Hilbre today, all moving west in the first half hour after high tide, they are the first here this year in what are regular movements to Liverpool bay in early spring. Other sea birds noted were 350 Common Scoter, 2 Red-throated Divers, 10 Great Crested Grebes and 4 Guillemots. A small movement of Meadow Pipits passed through this morning and a male Goldcrest dropped in to the island. The single male Eider was there and then a pair flew east later. Best of the waders were 20 Sanderling and 12 each of Bar-tailed Godwits and Purple Sandpipers.

9th March 2021

Weather: SW force 0/1

Still very high numbers of Brent are present, 318 today plus 2 dark-bellied individuals. They are likely to be here (slowly decreasing in numbers) for about 4 more weeks.

 Just a single male Eider was seen today.

 

A Common Snipe flew west over the south end as the tide flooded, and a Peregrine was on the sand east of Middle. A Grey Heron roosted over the tide around the island pond, this can only happen when visitor numbers are very low !

One of the pleasures of staying over the high tide is the certainty of Purple Sandpipers roosting at the north end.

Oystercatchers roosting on Middle numbered 3,800, while other waders counted were 343 Curlew, 140 Turnstone, 70 Redshank. Others noted today were a single Little Egret, 11 Shelduck and 180 Common Scoter. The only definite small  wandering visitor was a Starling.

8th March 2021

 Weather: S force 2, later WSW 2/3

A Swan  flew into the estuary over the West Kirby shore, too distantly to be identified to species and a Raven caused a disturbance among the local birds on Middle, otherwise records were fairly routine during the day. A pair of Blackbirds fed on the island,

 and a previously ringed Rock Pipit was about the north end. 

A Group of Grey Plover gathered on the shore below the obs,

and a pair of Shelducks loitered on the east side.

Little Egrets have been fairly scarce during the winter months, just one was recorded today.

Wader counts included 12 Purple Sandpipers, 125 Turnstone and 68 Sanderling, while on the sea were 220 Scoter and 6 Great Crested Grebes. A Grey Wagtail and 2 Starlings made visits.

6th March 2021

 Weather: SSE force 0/1

A morning visit found bird finding limited to mostly wintering individuals. The highlight of the day was undoubtably a Grey Wagtail that came down to feed on the island.

 A couple of Pied Wagtails were noted, also 3 Blackbirds ( 2male and a female). Two locally wandering Canada Geese made the list, while potential breeders included 22 Linnets, 6 Meadow and 2 Rock Pipits. Brent numbered 288 and 3 Mallards were on the pond. Waders logged included 80 Sanderling, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and 10 Purple Sandpipers. A scan of the 250 or so Common Scoters in sight failed to identify anything rarer.

3rd March 2021

 Weather:  SE force 2/3   cold, mist all day with poor visibility

 Another female Stonechat was found in the 'heli' paddock this morning which promply disappeared for a few hours before being refound in the afternoon and showing well, (unless it was different female).

A Goldcrest in the morning became the second to arrive this year and was still there late afternoon. The sound of a Chaffinch calling lasted all day, but we think only one bird was present. Three Starlings flew along the west side, a Skylark flew south over the island and there seemed to be more Robins and Wrens than usual. Two drake Eider sat out on the island.

  Three Red-breasted Mergansers were in the gutter below the obs then they flew up the estuary.

 A male Teal was in with a small flock of scoter off north end and a pair were in close off the west side.

A Rock Pipit fed on the slipway

Late afternoon as the tide continued to ebb, many ducks and waders arrived off the east side, nearly  5,000 Knot, over 2000 Dunlin, 235 Grey Plove and 120 Sanderling. The ducks arriving comprised 12 Wigeon and 8 Pintail.

2nd March 2021

 Weather:  SE force 3/4

 A male Eider was near the north end early, but later 2 were together between Middle and Hilbre as the tide flooded.

The frist Chiffchaff of the spring was found in the new obs garden which was a dull individual, later another much brighter bird was near the old obs. These were quite early for us, even by Chiffchaff standards.

 . A pair of Wigeon were seen and 5 Pintail flew down the estuary.

A Woodpigeon was the only 'migrant' apart from the Chiffchaffs. Three Rock Pipits stayed about and a Dunnock was singing. Thirteen Purple Sandpipers as usual were the main attraction but also seen were 44 Sanderling on the north shore on the ebb tide, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 103 Curlew and 65 Redshank.

 

 Turnstone numbered 250

Two Harbour Porpoises were in the swash to the west of the island. The sea was not very productive otherwise but noted were a Red-throated Diver and 9 Great Crested Grebes.

1st March 2021

 Weather E force 1/2 then SSW 3/4   mist around the estuary

A Jackdaw was heard over early morning and a Greenfinch landed briefly in the old obs garden.

A House Sparrow was nearby the telegraph house area, and later in the afternoon another was around the bungalows. Other finches present during the day were 2 Chaffinches, a Goldfinch, a Siskin, and 16 of the island Linnets. Six Pied Wagtails showed and 2 Dunnocks in the paddocks with one singing. A pair of Scoter sat out at the north end.

Waders today included 173 Sanderling, 53 Redshank, 32 Ringed Plover and 12 Purple Sandpipers

On the sea were 70 Scoter and 14 Great Crested Grebe, while the Daffodils bloomed in the old obs garden.

A good count was made of 212 Turnstone.

A Grey Heron flew into the pond just after sunset.