14th July 2026

 Weather: ESE force 2/3  Hot and sunny

 Another nice morning, still the odd Swift coming through, a Chiffchaff and a couple of Pied Wagtails still here. Terns including 4 Little and 20 Sandwich are around. Six Little Egrets and 4 Grey Herons are about the shore with the waders. Chief interest in the morning was the contents of the overnight moth trap which included a long list.

 Massive highlight for the day however was a Lesser Emperor dragonfly which landed on the mesh of one of the traps.

 We are used to seeing a few Emperors in mid-summer but never before has there been a Lesser Emperor at Hilbre! A few pictures of some of the moths.

 

Rustic

 

Smoky Wainscot

 

Shaded Broad-Bar

 

True Lovers Knot

White Line Dart

Even with the parched landscape at least a Common Frog has survived.

Photos CJW

13th July 2026

 Weather: E force 3/4    sunny and very warm

 The easterly breeze drifted in a few migrants to the islands also a great many insects. Among those present were (left to right) the Hilbre obs chairman and secretary plus John Horton warden of the Cape Clear observatory in Ireland. They had represented the Bird Observatories Council at the bird fair over the weekend.

A Ruff, very scarce at Hilbre, was found while passing over Middle and seen again to the west of Middle in the evening. Also on the shore this morning were many Black-headed Gulls, several Common Gulls and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull. An adult Mediterranean Gull was also seen moving down the west side of the island this morning. A Marsh Harrier drifted south at lunch time. 

 

On the island in the morning were 2 Chiffchaffs, a Sand Martin came through and there were 9 alba wagtails. Later small parties of Swifts totalling 110 birds mostly also headed south as the evening approached.  Reasonable numbers of terns were around the island including 14 Common, 5 Little and 55 Sandwich.

 

Other sea sightings were few, although 16 Gannets and a Red-breasted Merganser made the list. Many waders (including 4 Whimbrel) were about but insects provided the main interest of the day. Five species of dragonfly were one of the highlights, an Emporer was the largest as usual. 

 There were both male Ruddy Darter,

 

 .. and female Ruddy Darter

 

 

  A Migrant hawker and a scarcer Black-tailed Skimmer were also on the list.

 

 Butterflies arrived in massive numbers, 500 Red Admirals, 

 also 200 Small Whites, 10 Peacocks, 3 Green-veined Whites, 2 Gatekeepers, 2 Meadow Browns, a Common Blue, A Wall butterfly, a Ringlet. Photographed were a Large White and a Painted lady. 

 

 Our guest (JH) made a great list of insects including over 200 7-spot Ladybirds !

 

 also a Burnet moth 

 Further information on the Bird Observatories Council is here in their newsletter.

Photos: CJW, SRW

11th July 2026

 Weather:    sunny and very hot.

There were 142 Sandwich Tern (36 juveniles) on the east Hoyle opposite Hilbre with lots more flying around, there were also 51 Dunlin and 2 Sanderling also a Mute Swan there. Thanks to Tim Kinch for info. 

On the shore towards West Kirby but still in the Hilbre recording area, one of Black-headed Gulls was seen to be wearing a colour ring from when ringed in Belarus. 

  

 Thanks to Richard Smith for photo and info.

5th July 2026

 Weather: W force 6,  moderating 4 by mid morning, slight drizzle early

 A Mediterranean Gull flew passed the north end this morning before landing on the north shore, mid-summer is a good time to find them in the estuary

Of course other gulls are also present, seen were 60 Black-headed Gulls, 

and  120 Herring, 10 Lesser Black-backed and 2 Greater Black-backed.

 Best arrival on the island was a juvenile Stonechat that was in the obs garden.

 

 

 

 Among the waders, Curlew are increasing, about 60 today,

 and around 300 Oystercatchers.

A Black-tailed Godwit was the scarcest sighting this morning while sea birds were also hard to find with 100 Sandwich Terns and just 2 Common Scoter showing.

 Meanwhile on the island were 4 Blackbirds, 45 Linnets, 8 Meadow Pipits, 10 Rock Pipits with a pair feeding young in Niffy bay.  

 

 Just a single female Pied Wagtail was present.

 

 Some of the flowering plants are now getting past their best including the scarce Rock Sea-Lavender.

 and the Pyramidal orchid which has flowered in one of the paddocks intermittently over the last few years.

Butterflies have been a bit slow this spring, today there were 2 Red Admirals and a Peacock.

 Photos AEH

25th June 2026

Amongst the terns and gulls in the roost between West Kirby marine lake and Little Eye a Roseate Tern was photographed today. A superb shot by Richard Smith.

 

 

 A lot of ringed Roseate Terns are fitted with what is called a 'Roseate Special' metal ring with a four character code which is readable in the field. Although the marks on the special ring were not readable in the photos. However due to the position of the special ring it appears almost certainly to have been ringed at the large breeding colony at Rockabill near Dublin rather than at Coquet island in Northumberland. 

For further details see the dee estuary birding newsletter by Richard Smith. http://www.deeestuary.co.uk/news.htm

22nd June 2026

 Weather: SE force 4/5 ,  later N 2/3, very warm

A visit at the very middle of the year is usually quiet, as was the case today, but as always there is normally something of mention, today it was the passage of 64 Swifts, all in off the north end in a steady influx. More normal was just the odd Swallow on the island and 5 Sand Martins on passage. The other small passerines were mostly the regular breeders. Fourteen Little Egrets were a good number, although they often peak around this time of year. Sandwich Terns were counted at 45 and were the only 'seabirds'. Butterflies about were 8 Small White, 6 Red Admiral and 2 Painted Ladies, while moths flying by day included 4 Silver Y, a Cinnabar and a Burnet. Grey Seals were counter at 180 just before low tide.

 

14th June 2026

 Weather: NW force 3  moderating force 1 in the afternoon

After a windy few days, today was a pleasant surprise with light winds and slightly warmer. It was a typically quiet June day for birds but there were a small movement of Manx Shearwaters (12) early on and also a few Gannets (24). About 20 Sandwich Terns were here and 54 Common Scoter were noted. The female Eider was about, also 4 Shelduck. Naturally there were plenty of Meadow Pipits and Linnets, including their young. There were 5 Little Egrets and 3 Grey Herons, a Kestrel hunted the island while a Swift flew over. Insects are always a feature at this time of year, a Red-tailed (Bombus lapidarius) bee,

 and some Buff-tailed (Bombus terrestris) bees

 

 

 Burnet moths were numerous, one got close and personal.

 

 Photos. CJW. Phil Smith (Burnet moth)

31st May 2026

 

The first week of June is the typical date to see the amazing Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the island, 3 were present today, it loves the Valerian by Niffy bay. 

 

  

 

Large White and The Painted Lady butterflies that were present also were attracted.    

 There was still decent wader passage over the tide, 150 Oystercatcher, 12 Sanderling, 2 Turnstone, Knot, 40 Dunlin and 200 Ringed Plover. 

 

 

 

 

 There are Linnets with young around the island.

 

 Shelduck were sitting in the sunshine.

 as were the small flock of Sandwich Terns.

 The feeding Swallows still fed about the island.

 and the resident White Wagtail seems to have found a mate.

 

 A fox cub was found in the SK paddock feeding on a dead auk! 

Photos AEH