Weather: SW force 4, WSW 5 by noon and WNW early evening. Rain on and off most of the day
The wet westerly airstream did not do our observers any favours today but at least the Lesser Whitethroat from yesterday was surprisingly still present and could be heard singing in the SK paddock all day between the downpours. The strength of the wind brought very many Gannets in view from the island, there were a minimum of 225 birds sighted but there were probably more, with 3 Common Scoter, a Kittiwake, 90 Common and 30 Sandwich Terns the other sea feeding birds seen today. Seven Little Egrets and a Grey Heron were on the shore but very few waders were with them, just 15 Turnstone, about 10 Oystercatcher and a Dunlin.
A single Greenland Wheatear was here in the rain. An Oak Egger caterpillar was found on the hawthorn in the obs garden, probably the second for the island after the one seen 18 days ago.
and a Mottled Beauty was pleasing in the moth trap.
The Netted Pug is regular at Hilbre in May but is not too frequent on the mainland.
The pick of the butterflies was a Painted Lady. A low tide seal count recorded 429 hauled out on the west hoyle bank, a decent number for the Dee.
Photos GB
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