30th July 2013

1 Fulmar off the west side and the south end, 1 Peregrine, 550 Dunlin, 70 Sanderling, 150 Common Tern, 800 Sandwich Tern, 5 Little Tern.
(DB,NDW+4)

29th July 2013

2 Gannets, 37 Sanderling in summer plumage, 49 Swallow, 100 Common Tern, 400 Sandwich Tern. 7 Little Egrets flew in off the sea at the north end travelling south west, the frist noted for some time.
(DB)

27th July 2013

600 Oystercatchers, 10 Whimbrel, 90 Swallows, 3 Pied wagtails including 2 juveniles, also 2 juvenile Blackbirds, and a Common Snipe on the main island pond.
(DB + Matt Thomas)

26th July 2013

1 summer plumage Grey Plover, 17 Whimbrel, 70 Turnstone, 90 Swallow and a Lapwing on the whaleback.
(DB)

25th July 2013

4 Gannet, 11 Whimbrel, 400 Sandwich Tern, 5 Swift, 145 Swallow, 40 Linnet, 1 Common Snipe.
(DB)

24th July 2013

18 Gannet, 500 Common Scoter, 17 Whimbrel, 42 Redshank, 7 Swift, 174 Swallow, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Starling, 1 Wood Pigeon, 58 Black-tailed Godwits at the north end (in summer plumage), 2 Bar-tailed Godwit (also summer plumage), 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 female Teal, and 2 Harbour porpoise,
an excellent day for midsummer !
(DB,MT + KD and EW)

19th July 2013

1 Gannet, 2 Ringed Plover, 9 Whimbrel, 200 Curlew, 35 Redshank, 6 Swift, 57 Swallow, 3 Common Sandpiper.
(DB)

18th July 2013

120 Gannet, 1 Peregrine, 1 Whimbrel, 2 Turnstones (first returning birds), 4 Common Sandpiper.
(DB)

17th July 2013

3 Gannets, 200 Dunlin, 2 Whimbrel, 2 Swift, 2 Harbour porpoise off the north end.moving south west.
(DB,PGR,CJW,PLN,DGW)

11th July 2013

Weather SE 1-2. Wall to wall sunshine!

A great mid summer's day started quietly enough but a single Willow Warbler calling at the South End heralded the start of return passerine migration.

Insects were much in evidence with a good moth trap catch for Hilbre of 148 moths of 46 different species including 16 garden tigers (see below), possibly new to Hilbre were reddish light arches, cyclamen tortrix and Bactra robustana (these will be checked).

Garden Tiger - present in good numbers in the moth trap following Tuesday and Wednesday nights

A few butterflies were also around the island including a couple of Meadow Browns and the commoner damselflies were noted (following a Banded Demoiselle - first record for the island - by the main pond yesterday afternoon but no sign today).

As the tide had just cut off the island a juvenile Cuckoo was disturbed in the East side trapping area - a good record at any time.  However, shortly afterwards it was trapped and ringed - the first to be so on Hilbre in almost 30 years.

Lucky visiting Ringer Chris Routh from Sheffield on his first visit to Hilbre catches a Cuckoo

Returning waders have started to appear with 16 Redshank on the tide edge during the morning and a Whimbrel late afternoon and the last few days have seen large numbers of Black-tailed Godwit (up to 525) on the flooding tide between Little Eye and the Tanskey Rocks as well as increasing numbers of Sandwich Terns as is more expected for Hilbre.

(GB+GB, MGT + 2, PGR et al) photos of Cuckoo MGT

BLAST FROM THE PAST 1968/77:

One of only a handful of Cuckoos ringed on Hilbre the one below was caught in 1968 (also in July) and was found alive in Algeria in 1977 but sadly died several days later. A copy of the original recovery slip is included below. Anyone recognise the ringer? Answers by email - there are no prizes.

10th July 2013

300 Knot, 300 Curlew (Little Eye), 122 Swift, 1 Little Egret, 1 Manx Shearwater, 430 Black-tailed Godwit (off Little Eye), 1 Mediteranean Gull (West Kirby shore).
(BSB,DB,GB+Jill)

7th July 2013

54 Sandwich Tern, 160 summer plumage Black-tailed Godwits flew down the east side and over the observatory travelling west at high water.
Numerous Common Pipistrelle bats recorded at midnight.
(DB+ESCA)

4th July 2013

25 Gannets, 1 Kittiwake, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Little egrets,525 Black-tailed Godwits by Little Eye, 3 Meditteranean Gulls (2 adults, 1 first summer) by Tanskey rocks.
(BSB,DB)