Friday 30 December 2011
30th December 2011
Thursday 29 December 2011
29th December 2011
(DB)
Saturday 24 December 2011
24th December 2011
(DB)
Sunday 18 December 2011
December 2011 Blog Updates
18th December 2011
Only 112 Brents today but they included two Dark-bellied birds. A juvenile Herring Gull was also photographed cracking mussels by dropping them onto the rocks - not untypical behaviour at Hilbre.
Wednesday 14 December 2011
14th December 2011
(DB briefly)
Tuesday 13 December 2011
13th December 2011
(DB)
Monday 12 December 2011
12th December 2011
(CS,MGT+KD)
Sunday 11 December 2011
11th December 2011
(PSW) All photos PSW
Friday 9 December 2011
9th December 2011
Waders were also notable with 14 Purple Sandpipers, 230 Turnstone, 75 Redshank, 75 Bar-tailed Godwits and 14 Grey Plover counted around the islands being harassed by a single Peregrine. Other noteworthy records included s single Little Egret and a dawn flight of 1,975 Cormorants out of the estuary.
(DB)
Thursday 8 December 2011
8th December 2011
Other birds of note today included 30 Great Crested Grebes, single Gannet and Shag, two each of Kittiwake and Guillemot and 5 Red-throated Divers. Finally the Snow Bunting was still present.
(DB)
Tuesday 6 December 2011
6th December 2011
(DB)
Monday 5 December 2011
5th December 2011
(MGT)
Sunday 4 December 2011
4th December 2011
(DB+ESCA)
Saturday 3 December 2011
3rd December 2011
which spent some time just off the North End. Frustratingly a shearwater species was seen at distance but could not be specifically identified (any species of shearwater is very rare at Hilbre in Winter). A Snow Bunting appeared briefly near the 'Khyber Pass' but was not relocated until later in the afternoon (see below). A good count of 138 Pale-bellied Brent Geese plus 3 Dark-bellied birds added to the good wildfowl day but attention again turned to sea-watching around lunchtime with the wind increasing and the tide on the turn. A late Fulmar battered in from the direction of the Mersey followed by some more Kittiwakes and then a Pomarine Skua flew in from the West, harrassed some gulls that were milling about off the North End and then headed back west before ditching in and being lost from view (left and right -you can just make out the double wing flash on the righthand shot). This was soon followed by a Bonxie, again heading west, and an increase in Gannets with at least 32 seen today. The Snow Bunting was then relocated at the South End were it fed in the South Cove on the tideline debris for the rest of the afternoon.
However, despite all this excitement the highlight of the day for all present were the appearance of visitors Rachael and Chris (who unknown to Rachael had brought surprises)...whilst the blustery wind brought seabirds close in off the North End and the Brent Geese and a couple of Purple Sandpipers fed happily on the slipway below, Chris proposed to Rachael at the North End - fortunately she said "yes" - and the sun came out and produced a beautiful rainbow above their heads (see below). Surely a good omen for their future.
Congratulations from everyone at the Obs! They even had time for a quick look at the Snow Bunting on their way off the island to tell their families and friends their wonderful news.
(CJ, NDW, PSW, SRW +MP) Photos PSW (Shag, Pintail, Snow Bunt - top) and SRW (remainder)
Tuesday 29 November 2011
29th November 2011
(DB)
Monday 28 November 2011
28th November 2011
Sunday 27 November 2011
27th November 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
26th November 2011
(ESCA, DB, SRW)
Friday 25 November 2011
25th November 2011
(DB)
Monday 21 November 2011
Black Redstarts on Wirral
Black Redstart, Red Rocks (SRW) |
Black Redstart, Caldy (PSW) |
Sunday 20 November 2011
20th November 2011
House Sparrow (PSW) |
A misty start to the day saw the Merlin continue to hunt the islands area, but no sign of the Short-eared Owl. Four Lapwings flew low over the rocks south of Middle, but few birds were about the paddocks, just a Chaffinch and a new Blackbird, although later a few finches came in to check out the feeders. Two Greenfinches were ringed also a House Sparrow which is a scarce bird at Hilbre and is the only one ringed this year. Other migrants were hard to come by, a couple of dozen Starlings, 2 Pied Wagtails and 2 Skylarks were the meagre ration until near midday when a Snow Bunting flew in from the north, circled a couple of times calling and then went off south.
Common Seal (CJ) |
Saturday 19 November 2011
19th November 2011
Wednesday 16 November 2011
16th November 2011
Tuesday 15 November 2011
12th - 15th November 2011
Friday 11 November 2011
11th November 2011
No doubt attracted by the passing Starlings a Merlin appeared and picked out a single bird and began a long pursuit which conclusion was not seen as both birds disappeared into the mist.
Four Wigeon were in the gutter on the rising tide and it was a good day for wildfowl with a single Teal seen later, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers but the highlight was a flock of six Shoveler (above left)which flew between the islands; not to mention the Brent Geese flock which was a little more scattered than yesterday making an accurate count difficult (146 yesterday).
Migrants were struggling through against the strengthening wind with 3 Redwings passing over (including one on Middle), 3 Skylark, 4 Chaffinch as well as at least 8 grounded Blackbirds (of which four new birds were ringed).
The colour-ringed Little Egret and one of the colour-ringed Pale-bellied Brent were both present and a single Short-eared Owl was flushed from the bracken near the Old Obs garden and was later seen down the West side (probably the same bird that has been seen on the island on several dates recently - photographed on 4th November 2011).
(DB, NDW et al) [1,011-47]
Thursday 10 November 2011
10th November 2011
Passerines included singles of Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush and Chaffinch as well as 5 Linnet and 6 Blackbirds.
The highlights of the day were a Little Egret which came 'in off' the sea, the first Woodcock of the autumn on Gropper Ridge (South End) and a Bonxie over the sea opposite the Obs.
A single Red Admiral was another indication of how mild the temperatures are at the moment.
(DB)
Sunday 6 November 2011
6th November 2011
(JE, CJW, NDW, RTW, EKW, NLW) photos JE (view), CJW, (Blue Tit)