12th August 2026

 Weather: SE force 4/5    SE 2 in the evening

  Although the cloud did its best, it could not deny a great view of the eclipse from Hilbre.

 

At the time of maximum darkness 309 Black-headed Gulls were over the island as there’d been some kind of insect activity and they were all tumbling around catching them. It was quite odd in the half light!  Sandwich Terns increased to 550 individuals. Another Marsh Harrier showed today, several have been seen here recently.

 Three Willow Warblers made the island, also several Swallows and a Wheatear.

 The best wader on display was a Common Sandpiper while others included 25 Curlew, 12 Whimbrel, 90 Ringed Plover and 45 Redshank. Also noted today were 6 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Heron and the Kestrel. As expected in this warm and calm weather the moth trap fared quite well with a good list.

  

Willow Beauty

 

Turnip 

Rusty Dot Pearl

Ringed: 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Pied Wagtail. 

 

Photos CJW

11th August 2026

 Weather: ESE force 2/3  SSE 4/5 later

A firm wind all day and generally very bright so not good for visible migration, nevertheless there were several good birds to admire. A Marsh Harrier put in an appearance, always a good day when that happens, also a flock of 400 Black-tailed Godwit will be from the birds roosting at Caldy. The Sandwich Tern flock is still on the increase with 526 seen plus 19 Little Terns and just 2 Common Terns, while a first summer Mediterranean Gull was the pick of the gulls and was seen to catch a fly.

 

More expected migrants were 14 Swallows 2 Wheatears and 2 Willow Warblers.

 A Raven seemed puzzled that the Dolphin to feed on the other day could not be found (it had been removed).

 

A couple of Gannets were noted on the sea, also 6 Guillemot and a pair of Scoter but nothing much else apart from the terns. Of the waders 3 Whimbrel, 42 Sanderling, 300 Dunlin and a Bar-tailed Godwit were here. Pick of the insects were 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths, 10 Red Admirals, 20 Small Whites, 6 Painted Ladies and a Silver Y moth.

Photos BT

7th August 2026

 Weather: SW force 3

The wind dropped overnight and a couple of Willow Warblers arrived. A short stay in the morning to examine the overnight moth trap contents found a decent list. 

  

Orange Swift

Antler

Common Wainscot

Three Red Admirals and a Painted Lady were the sole butterflies seen. There was time to do counts of some birds. Twenty two Little Egrets was an exceptional total, also seen were 3 Grey Herons, 170 Ringed Plover, 1,800 Dunlin, 10 Whimbrel and 12 Turnstone. Gull numbers are increasing, 2,000 Herring, 1,300 Black-headed, 10 Common and 11 Lesser Black-Backs and 4 Great Black-Backs. Two Common Scoters were on the sea with 250 Sandwich Terns.

Photos CJW

6th August 2026

 Weather: WNW force 4/5 drizzle at first

A blowy north westerly with no definite migrants, although a Raven made a visit. Good numbers of waders were about the islands including a notable 240 Ringed Plover.

 

On the shore 1,200 Dunlin fed 

 

 

 

There were 62 Curlew and 18 Whimbrel 

 Despite the north westerly there were no sea birds apart from 250 Sandwich Terns in the roost and 6 Common Terns. Th Sandwich Terns containing many young.

 

Three Blackbirds, 18 Linnets and a pair of Pied Wagtails were among the regulars on the island.

 while butterflies numbered 6 Small Whites, a Red Admiral and 2 Painted Ladies.

 

Photos CJW 

4th August 2026

 Weather: SE force 3 with showers initially, followed by SSW 5 by mid morning

The south easterly early flattered to deceive with the wind turning south westerly much too early. A little bit of ringing took place however with a Goldcrest and a Sedge Warbler being the best of the day.

 Most of the other small birds were the regulars that have been here some time, even a Willow Warbler failed to appear. A few Swallows flew about and a Sand Martin showed up but little else. Two Whimbrel and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit were the best wader sightings before the approach of the tide. Regulars to the island included 2 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons and the Kestrel. A single Common Scoter was the sole 'sea bird', but Black-headed Gulls showed up in numbers (about 2,000). Butterflies were scarcer today, 30 Small Whites and 15 Red Admirals, while moths seen were 2 Large Yellow underwings and a single Small.

 Ringed: 1 Goldcrest, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Linnets, 1 Robin, 1 Wren. 

Photo:  B T  

3rd August 2026

 Weather: SE force 3    hot and sunny

A lovely early autumn day with a little migration, the single Willow Warbler arrival was trapped for ringing, A small passage of Swallows enabled 2 to be ringed, an event that is not too regular in most years.

 

Three Linnets and 3 Wrens completed the ringing for the day. A single House Martin was a visitor, also 8 Swifts. At this afternoons high tide good counts of waders were made. There were 2,800 Dunlin, 650 Ringed Plover, 2,600 Oystercatchers, 40 Knot, 120 Redshank, 14 Curlew, 3 Whimbrel, 14 Sanderling, 24 Turnstone, a Bar-tailed Godwit and scarcer visitor of a Lapwing. Lots of gulls were about also 260 Sandwich Terns and a single Common Tern. Various other scarce but regular arrivals were a Merlin (chasing Meadow Pipits at the north end), also a Raven and a Goosander. A Great White Egret came in off the sea and became bird of the day despite its recent increase in the lower estuary. The remains of a Bottlenose Dolphin lay on the shore and was reported to the cetacean strandings investigation programme. 

 

With the warm weather came several insects of note including 60 Red Admirals, 140 Small Whites, a Painted Lady, a Peacock, 3 Common Blues, a Silver Y moth and an Emperor dragonfly. 

 

Photos BT 

2nd August 2026

 Weather: ESE force 2,  warm and sunny 

 Nice morning with reasonable movement of swallows  as well as a couple of swifts. 

  Garden warbler was a nice surprise, but not unknown to turn up here in August.

 

 About 10 Willow Warblers were down on the island,

 

 

 The Kestrel was mobbed by the odd Swallow among a passage of 66.

 

A  small number of Meadow Pipits also came through. Tern numbers continued to build with at least 250 Sandwich a few Little but no Common recorded. Dunlin and Ringed Plover were present on the flooding tide as well as a few Bar-tailed Godwits, 10 Whimbrel and about 50 Curlew.  One of 2 Little Egrets was seen to be colour ringed. Two Ravens came by as they now do regularly. A Wall Brown butterfly was noted in the paddock, fairly scarce here. 

 

 ............as well as 8 Painted Ladies, a Red Admiral, some Small Whites, 2 Common Blues  and the first short-tailed field vole noticed in ages!

Ringed: 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Linnet. 

Photos  AEH CJW

22nd July 2026

Weather: SW force 3    NW 2 by afternoon,  cloudy and quite humid

No real migration but a juvenile Black Guillemot was a good find in the east gutter (record shot). It drifted off the north end as the tide ebbed.

 

 Noted on the island this morning were 8 Rock Pipits, 3 alba wagtails, 2 Blackbirds, 3 Swallows and 14 Linnets. Numbers of Sandwich Terns are building up (240), also gulls, 300 Black-headed and 600 Herring, 18 Lesser and 22 Greater Black backed. Waders around included 38 Ringed Plover, 62 Curlew, 8 Knot, 14 Dunlin. Little Egrets numbered 13 and the Kestrel was still about. Small Copper was the best butterfly of the day.

Not quite so scarce were 14 Small Whites, 3 Gatekeepers, 4 Red Admirals, 5 Painted Ladies and 4 Common Blues.

  

Ringed: 1 Wren, 1 Linnet, both birds will have been Hilbre born.

Photos BT