24.8.26

Weather: SE force 3/4

 A very quiet day after a clear night and cloudless morning, the islands were almost completely devoid of migrants until a Willow Warbler dropped in to the obs garden latish in the morning and then promptly disappeared. After a Wheatear full day yesterday in a south westerly it was a surprise none turned up today. Two Swallows came south through the island but did not stop to feed. Most of the 20 Sandwich Terns seen were calling over the sea with just a adult and juvenile Common Tern on the shore.

 

 

 

 Two male Common Scoter sat at the north end.

Sixteen Shelduck flew west while waders present were 16 Ringed Plover, 80 Curlew, 2 Whimbrel, 10 Turnstone and 50 Redshank.

 

There were just the usual passerines on the island, a couple of Pied Wagtails, 8 Rock Pipits, and a Blackbird.

Photos : CJ 

23.8.26

 Weather: SW force 3   WSW 3 later in the morning

 

The early tide, although a small heap, still provided plenty of feeding for waders,

 

also 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, 4 Whimbrel, and a great count of 32 Little Egrets! 

 Six Teal few in from the North and headed off down the estuary whilst flocks of Black-headed gulls frantically followed the flooding tide in.

Twelve hundred Black-tailed Godwits were able just about sit out the tide on top of the southern end of the West Hoyle bank. Migration however was quiet until later 12 Wheatears appeared,

 

 

 

 

  thirteen Swallows and  6 Pied Wagtails moved through.

Sandwich Terns, although reduced in numbers from recently, amounted to 175 and moved around calling away in flocks of about twenty at a time, we will soon miss their screeches!

 Other sightings today included a Shag, the Kestrel and a Common Scoter.  

  Photos CJW 

 

22nd August 2026

 Weather: ESE force 2

 Little migration this morning but a female Sparrowhawk came through also a peregrine was here and the regular Kestrel. Six Whimbrel were among the scattering of waders on the lowish tide. Just 75 Sandwich and one Common Tern were on the sea. Last nights moth trap revealed another good number of species.

 

 

Turnip

Lime-speck-Pug

Butterflies also did well with 3 Red Admirals, a Painted Lady, 

  and two scarce at Hilbre Clouded Yellows.

Photos CJW

21st August 2026

Weather: N force 3

 A late evening arrival noted 3 Swallows still around the island, also 15 Linnets, 10 Rock Pipits, 3 Meadow Pipits, and a Blackbird. Waders included 4 Whimbrel, 18 Curlew, 40 Ringed Plover, 38 Redshank and 80 Dunlin. Ten Sandwich Terns were showing also 7 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.

18th August 2026

 Weather: WNW force 4

A visit to Hilbre in the afternoon for the high tide. Very few passerines about but we bdid manage to colour ring a new Rock Pipit and caught two retraps - one of which was ringed on the island as a juvenile in 2024 and is now one of our breeding birds.

 

 No warblers today but 2 Hummingbird-Hawk Moths, always a spectacular subject for the camera.

 

 

The Kestrel showed extremely well and allowed some good photos when hanging almost stationary in the stiff WNW breeze.

 Six hundred Black-tailed Godwits were on the estuary, other waders were 60 Turnstone, 

 

 

 30 Redshank and 5 Whimbrel, 

 There were 10 Little Egret,

 

 Three Sandwich Terns were visible over the tide, with a flock of 60 on the shore later on.

 

Two Shags were here also 3 male Common Scoter.

Photos: AEH, PSW  

15th August 2026

 Weather: N force 4

The wind came from the north and it was a cooler day in which some repair work was done on the island. Noted were 2 Whimbrel and 10 Curlews with one in heavy moult.

Sandwich Terns were down to about 150 but some decent gull numbers were seen:  800 Herring, 250 Black-headed, 10 Lesser Black-Backs, 4 Great Black-Backs and an impressive 80 Commons on the east hoyle. Apart from the 2,500 Oystercatchers only small numbers of waders showed this morning. Twenty eight Linnets were still about the island, also 10 Rock Pipits, 4 Meadow Pipits, 3 Swallows and 3 Pied Wagtails.

Photo: CJW 

13th August 2026

Weather: SE force 1/2

Despite the south easterly no migrants appeared this morning apart from a single Willow Warbler. As is often the case on a quiet summer autumn/morning members look to the moth trap to produce something different. This morning it turned up trumps with a specimen of Haworth's Minor, a species new to Hilbre. 

  There were lots of others to look at :- 

 

 One of the many here was a Small Mottled Willow

Sandwich Terns numbered about 250 with 2 Little Terns while waders featured 30 Curlew, 6 Whimbrel, 39 Redshank, 50 Dunlin, 25 Ringed Plover and 6 Whimbrel.Six Little Egrets, 3 Grey heron and the Kestrel were also noted. No longer unusual at Hilbre, 2 Ravens showed up.

Photos: CJW  

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