15th March 2017

Weather : SW. 0/1, later N 0/1

A very pleasant morning with obvious movements of wagtails (4 Grey and 20 alba), a few Meadow Pipits, half a dozen Goldfinches, 2 Goldcrests and regular Hilbre spring 'migrant' visitors such as a Magpie (below), a House Sparrow, plus  Reed Bunting and Skylark.

 The sea was mostly quiet although a drake Goldeneye and a drake Eider were a bonus. One hundred and fifty seven Curlew roosted the tide on Middle and 82 Turnstones were counted.

Purple Sandpiper

A Bottle-nosed Dolphin swan in the calm sea off the north end, while the afternoon sun encouraged the first butterflies of the year, a Peacock and 4 Small Tortoiseshells to take to the air.

Ringed: 1 Goldcrest, 1 Dunnock. [ 15-7 ]     photos CJ