30th November 2013

Weather:- N force 1/2
A fine day for the RSPB date with nature event (left) which was well attended and served many cups of tea!
The best bird of the day was a female Goldeneye on the sea, but there were several good counts made of the regular inhabitants of the estuary at this time of year including 268 Shelduck, 7,000 Dunlin, 2,000 Knot, 150 Brent geese (with 1 dark-bellied form) and a peak for the autumn/winter of 620 Curlew. Others noted today were a Peregrine and a Little Egret. Passerines present included 6 Robins, 3 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush.
Work is progressing on repairs to the buildings on the island, and the female Kestrel took advantage of the new perching opportunities.
(DB,JE)             photos  JE

29th November 2013

Weather:- NW force 6/7 showers early
Sixty Shelduck, 3 Purple Sandpiper, female kestrel still on the island, and Goosander still at West Kirby marine lake.
(DB,CJ,KMc+SD, + Dave Steel and party of 17)

28th November 2013

Weather:- NW1
Three female and 2 male Wigeon flying north, 100 Sanderling on the north shore, 8 Grey Herons, 5 Meadow Pipits, 2 Little Egrets.The Rabbit still about.
(DB)

27th November 2013

Weather:- NW 3, drizzle
Six Robins 5 Wrens and 4 Blackbirds present, 1 Little Egret.
(DB)

26th November 2013

Weather:- SW force 1
One male and 2 female Wigeon, 3,000 Knot south of Tanskeys.
(DB)

25th November 2013

Weather:- light air, first ice on the pond
A Snow Bunting flew over the obs, a Great Skua sat on the sea, 70 Great Crested Grebes, 800 Common Scoters, 159 Brent Geese counted.  Four Little Egrets, 4 Blackbirds on the island.
(DB,et al)

24th November 2013

Weather:- NE force 2/3 , lake district visible
Thirteen Wigeon, 147 Redshank in the east gutter, 1 Little Egret, 2 Song Thrush.
(DB, SRW,CLW,TGW,CJW,GIW,FPW)

23rd November 2013

Weather:- wind:- SSW, still air
Seen on a mirror like sea, about 2,500 Common Scoters out towards Wales, 250 Great Crested Grebes, 8 Red-throated Divers and the first Goldeneye of the winter. Thirty five Bar-tailed Godwits and 7 Purple Sandpipers.
Ringed:- 1 Song Thrush  [ 689-32 ]
(MJA,MB,NDW,SRW)

22nd November 2013

Weather:- ENE,NNE force 2/3 sunshine,lake district visible
One Rock Pipit north end of Middle, no sign of the Snow Bunting, 2 Starlings, 1 Song Thrush, 60 Shelduck, the female Kesterel that has been here for some time.
(DB,CJ, et al)

21st November 2013

Weather:- NE force 4/5 squalls
A Snow Bunting on the beach at the north end of Middle Eye, 17 Lapwings flew south west. Four Little Egret and a Skylark. Two hundred + Grey Plover at Little Eye.
(DB)

19th November 2013

Weather:- NNW force 5, then NNE force 4/5, squalls, first snow of winter seen on Lake district and pennine mountains.
Parties of 110, 95, and 10 Starlings flying to the west, 1 Redwing. two Red-throated Divers, 15 Common Scoters, 61 Ringed Plover, 120 Turnstones.
(DB)

17th November 2013

Weather:- S force 0/1, some mist
Two Black-tailed Godwits flying west, Skylark Middle Eye, plus 7 moving west, 7 Starlings going south east. Four Blackbirds, 6 Robins, 18 Meadow Pipits, 150 Bar-tailed Godwits, and in the east hoyle Little Eye area were 12 |Grey Herons, 150 Grey Plover, 540 Curlew, 7,000 Dunlin.
(DB,SRW)

16th November 2013

  An early tide meant driving across to Hilbre in the dark. As dawn broke a Song Thrush was caught in the Heli trap and was found to have been ringed on the island during a previous winter. A new Dunnock was also ringed.

Kestrel

Robin

 With few migrants moving seawatching was once again the order of the day. At least 450 Common Scoter were noted in a three hour seawatch over the tide. Most were heading west towards N Wales. Highlight were the  2 male Velvet Scoter heading west amongst a small party of Common Scoter. Their bigger bulk and broad white secondary patches being obvious in flight. A small group of Common Scoter did spend the time flying around between Bird Rock and the East Hoyle bank

 

Common Scoter

 . A few Gannets were recorded and there was an increase in Red-throated Diver numbers. An Obs member watching from the mainland had a possible Black-throated Diver which may potentially be a returning bird as one had been seen regularly over the last winter period.

Purple Sandpipers

The Purple Sandpiper flock was reduced to 6 birds and they spent the tide roosting on a rocky ledge on the west side as did a flock of about 40 Turnstones. As the tide ebbed the Turnstones started feeding on the rocky shore bellow the Obs and one was seen to be colour ringed with  red over pale green on the left leg indicating it was ringed in the winter of  2008/09.

Ringed:- 1 Dunnock    [ 688-32 ]

(PSW)

15th November 2013

Weather NW force 2
Count of 1830 Cormorants exiting the estuary at dawn. Eighty Grey Plover Little Eye, 10,000 Knot and 334 Curlew on the east hoyle bank. Two Wigeon, 140 Shelduck, 12 Common Scoter. Three Little Egrets including a yellow and white colour ringed bird, 7 wrens, 6 Robins.
(DB)

13th November 2013

Weather:- SW force 2/3
High count of 158 pale-bellied Brent (including colour ringed Red/Blue, White/ Blue) and 3 dark-bellied. Eleven hundred Cormorants out of the estuary in the morning, 150 Shelduck, 11 Grey Herons at Little Eye, a thousand Dunlin flying south, 2 Ravens flying south west and 2 Lapwings flying east. Four Little Egrets, 1 Song Thrush, a Skylark and 3 Starlings.
(DB, with Matt Thomas, Rob Williams)

12th November 2013

Weather:- NW force 4/5
Party of 28 Starlings flying west, 1 Redwing, 1 male Common Scoter
(DB)

11th November 2013

Weather:- SE force 3/4
Three dark-bellied Brent, 2 Little Egrets, 32 Shelduck, 3 Blackbirds.
(DB)

10th November 2013

Weather:- north 4
Brent counted at 141, 56 Redshank, 1 Skylark.
(DB)

9th November 2013

Weather:- S force 2 then W 3
Parties of Starlings totaling 149 including 100 moving south, a Skylark and 3 Goldfinches on the feeders. A female Kestrel and a Peregrine.
(DB)

8th November 2013

An early morning visit was followed later by an afternoon trip staying over the tide. A maximum of 9 Purple Sandpipers were seen - 8 roosting in the tide gauge & 1 seen flying off to Middle to roost with the Turnstones. A small flock of 10-12 Common Scoter spent the time splashing around on the sea near HE52. Surprisingly 4 Gannets were seen fishing throughout the period between Hilbre and the wind farm. Less surprising were the Great-crested Grebes and single Red-throated Diver.

The colour ringed Turnstone from winter 2007/08 was photographed just before high tide- see photo.

The ringed female Kestrel spent the afternoon hunting Short-tailed Field Voles and was seen to be successful on at least two occasions - see photo where you can just make out the ring on the right leg.

Purple Sandpipers

(PSW)  photos PSW

7th November 2013

Purple Sandpiper (CJ)

Weather:- SW force 3 increasing to 6, bright and sunny

Seventeen Red-throated divers, 15 Guillemots, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 73 Common Scoter, 120 Sanderling, 3 Starlings, 2 Skylarks, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Goldfinch. One Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

(DB,CJ,KMc+SD,MGT)

6th November 2013

Weather:- W force 3 , drizzle
The male House Sparrow still about the obs garden feeders. Six Little Egrets, 152 Brent Geese, 7 Wigeon, 11 Grey Herons, 13 Purple Sandpipers, 90 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Rock Pipit.
The corpse of a Red Fox found drowned on the bank between the islands, probably the source of Fox faeces found on the island recently.
(DB)

5th November 2013

Weather:- NW wind force 6/7, heavy rain and squalls
A House Sparrow spent all day near the feeders in the obs garden. Two Redwings, 3 Starlings, 1 Song Thrush, 5 Robins, 1 Rock Pipit, 10 Grey Herons, 49 Bar-tailed Godwits, 270 Turnstones, 1 Gannet.
(DB)

4th November 2013

Weather:- wind N force 3
1 female Pintail, 150 Grey Plover, 2,500 Dunlin
(DB)

1st November 2013

Weather:- wind S at dawn then WSW force 3, rain from mid-morning
Very little in the trapping area, just the Chiffchaff from the last 2 days, 2 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush, although a Reed Bunting called overhead for a short while, and a single Starling and Pied Wagtail passed south. A few Gannets fed off the north end, and also noted there were 2 Razorbills and 8 Great-crested Grebes. Eight Purple Sandpipers sat out the high tide as did a new high number of 250 Turnstones. A Kestrel was often seen hovering and 2 Peregrines were hunting the waders. Bird of the day was not on the island but on the West Kirby marine lake after high tide, a red headed Goosander that was soon unfortunately flushed by a boat. In the afternoon a Mute swan flew towards Hoylake shore.
Details just received of the ringed Black-headed Gull that was on the West Kirby marine lake on 30th September (see blog for that date) reveal that it was ringed as a second year bird in Sweden in 2001, and has been seen in Denmark in March in 2010 and 2011 before appearing with us this year.
Ringed:- 1 Wren      [ 687-32 ]
(DB,CJ,CJW, et al,THM,RAE,CF)