31st October 2026

 Weather:  ESE force 5,   SE 4/5 by mid morning  

 A very foggy start with a strong south easterly wind did not bring too much unfortunately. Winter thrushes etc. dominated this morning with 12 Blackbirds, 2 Redwings, 5 Fieldfares, a Song Thrush, 2 Brambling and a Reed Bunting, also 3 Chaffinches. There was also a small trickle through of Meadow Pipits. Ten Pink-footed Geese passed over. Counted were 27 Wigeon and 3 Teal, while more regular birds 140 Brent, 7 Shelduck and 20 Common Scoter showed. The male Stonechat was still here. A list of waders included 220 Redshank, 4,000 Dunlin, 600 Knot, 40 Grey Plover,  1 Ringed Plover and a single Bar-tailed Godwit.

Ringed: 2 Blackbirds

30th October 2026

 Weather: ESE force 4/5,  mist around the estuary

A misty day with the wind still ESE was expected to be at least as productive as yesterday, but there was considerably less about. A single Brambling came down briefly in the Obs garden early morning. Also pre-dawn 55 Pink-footed Geese left the estuary, more were heard calling later but could not be found in the mist for a count. Brent Geese were counted at 280 but again it's likely many more were around the islands.

A flock of 46 Linnet had roosted in the Blackthorn overnight, there was just a single Skylark today but a small number of different finches moved through (3 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch and 2 Goldfinch) also 14 Meadow Pipits, some of which (without rings) may have been on the move.

 

 

 The only bird moving in numbers today were Starlings with groups through the morning totalling 227.

 A Chiffchaff was in the paddocks. 

 
Counts from the sea included a Red-throated Diver, 4 Great Crested Grebes and 75 Common Scoters, and wader numbers were good: 5,500 Dunlin, 200 Curlew, 96 Redshank, 49 Grey Plover, 50 Turnstone and a single Purple Sandpiper. There were 2 Grey Herons and a Little Egret. 

Photos AS

29th October 2026

 Weather : ESE force 1, later SE 3

 A good passage of Skylarks again, 50 in total passing through all morning. Also overhead were 29 Pink-footed Geese. A Stonechat was on middle, it was ringed and will be the one that was ringed here on Tuesday. A Magpie was around during the morning. 

 A wide selection of  finches very much featured during the day with a flock of 9 Greenfinch which moved around the island for a while, also 3 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 4 Siskin, 2 Redpolls, and in addition 22 Linnets roamed the island. A Reed Bunting let itself be known to observers. A single Purple Sandpiper was here, while other waders included 15 Grey and 10 Ringed Plover, 73 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2,000 Dunlin and 400 Knot. On the sea 770 Common Scoter were mostly in the air out towards the wind farms, apart from a few around the islands.

Four Gannets and 11 Guillemots were recorded on the sea.  As the tide made, a commotion by the 2 local Crows drew attention to a Buzzard approaching middle, where it landed for a while. Visits to Hilbre by buzzards are surprisingly rare.

 

 

  Eight Little Egrets, a Kestrel and a Grey Heron were also on the log today.

 Photos AS

 

 

 

 

27th October 2026

 Weather:    SSW / SW force 5-6 gusting 8  , Dry with good visibility

 The combination of a high tide and winds meant the usual roosting spots for waders were either underwater or lashed by salt spray.

  

Many waders roosted on top of Hilbre or on Lion Rock in Niffy Bay - including several Knot but no wintering presence of Purple Sandpipers yet.

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

Unexpectedly, given the conditions, there was some evidence of passerine migration with several Starlings being grounded.

 .....and a flock of 20 Chaffinches that roosted in the obs garden. What was presumed to be the same Stonechat seen yesterday was caught and ringed in the obs garden.  

 

   Some Redwings also came to ground.

 As usual most of the Common Scoter were way out to sea but a few came close to us.

 The Kestrel was still here..

 

 

 

 Photos; AEH, PSW

26th October 2026

 Weather: SE force 5/6      rain

 A wet morning with a cold SE wind blowing force 6at times. On the sea was quiet apart from over 1000 Common Scoter, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 2 small grebes too far put to positively identified. Two Porpoise passed close by, one with a youngster keeping close to it.

 Passage consisted of 3 Redwing, a Skylark, 5 Starling and a Stonechat. 

.... and a Chiffchaff was caught and ringed. The usual Kestrel was sheltering on Little Eye after the tide. Lots of waders today including 175 Bar-tailed Godwits, 200 Curlew, 200 Dunlin, 3 Sanderling  and 60 Turnstone.

 

  Photos AEH 

21st October 2026

 Weather: SE force 4, some rain,  WSW 6 late morning, rain

 A dreary and mostly damp morning found that the Stonechat is still here. A few thrushes are on the move again with 5 Song Thrushes and 3 of the 7 Blackbirds on the island were caught for ringing.  Just a single Skylark today but 15 Starlings came through. The presence of 8 Wrens and 4 Robins was also indicative of passage. A small number of Meadow Pipits are on the island and 8 Lapwings were here in a winter type movement. As yesterday 4 Wigeon were here with 120 Brent and 120 Common Scoters counted. Waders seen were 600 Oystercatcher, 30 Curlew, 65 Bar-tailed Godwit, 60 Turnstone, 80 Redshank and 1 Sanderling. Four Little Egrets made the list.

 Ringed: 3 Blackbirds.

20th October 2026

 Weather: ESE force 1   light drizzle at first,   heavy rain later

  

 More thrushes this morning with 4 Redwings, some down on the island.

 

 

Three Song Thrushes were around the island

 

 and Blackbirds are often not far behind when a small fall of thrushes are down on the island, there were 7 this morning, some will be passing through.

 

A Wigeon and 4 Teal  joined the drake Mallard at Hilbre

  

Other wildfowl seen were 285 Brent, 120 Common Scoter and 45 Shelduck. Waders about were 128 Curlew, 85 Redshank, 62 Turnstone, 4 Dunlin, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and 6 Grey Plover.

Moving through today were 11 Starlings, 5 Skylarks with a few Meadow Pipits. The Stonechat still stays here in the rain. There were 8 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons, while looking at the sea in the rain spotted 2 Red-throated Divers and a Great Crested Grebe.

 

 

On West Kirby marine lake this morning were 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and 14 Goosanders (including 1 drake)

Photos: SRW

19th October 2026

 Weather: E force 2,   SE 4 in the afternoon

Several  Redwings went over before first light and a couple down on the island. There were 12 all told during the day.

A Great White Egret flew north up the island and then off east before turning south back up the estuary at 740am.

 

   Later 2 more Great White Egret headed east to Hoylake at 13.20hrs. 

 

The passage of Skylarks were much reduced today, 3 birds, but Starlings came to the fore with 20  counted including a flock of nine. Meadow Pipits continued to come through with several dozen moving. 

 Some probable migrants were among the 3 Song Thrushes and 6 Blackbirds.

 

 

 The usual morning flyover of Pink-footed Geese comprised flocks of 80 and 40. Three Greenfinch and 8 Siskin accompanied the roaming flock of 30 Linnets. The long staying Stonechat is still here.

  

 No sign today of any Jackdaws although 20 Carrion Crows was quite a number. There were 3 raptors today, the Kestrel,

 

......... also an immature Peregrine and a juvenile Merlin which certainly demonstrated that it wasn't a fly-by sighting.

 

   

 

 

 

Most obvious of the waders at the very low tide were 55 Sanderling and 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, the smaller waders such as Dunlin were a little scarce.

 

The Brent impressed again with 318 birds, especially the number of juveniles, we don't recall so many birds this early in the winter. 

 

 

There were 15 Shelducks, 30 Common Scoters, a Great Crested Grebe, 6 Grey Herons, a Red-throated Diver and a Shag.

 

 

 A Red Admiral was a late flyer, and also seen was a drone fly, (a hover fly that mimics a honey bee). Now is the season of fungi etc, witness this very small species.

  

Ringed: 2 Blackbirds, 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Robin, 1 Wren 

Photos: AEH, SRW