31st August 2024

 Weather: ESE force 3, slight mist,  E 4 in the afternoon

A calm day with east in the wind brought us some autumn migrants this morning. In addition to 4 Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff there was an elusive Whitethroat. 

 Twenty Wheatears also graced the islands today.

 

A Colloared Dove paid us a visit, while 3 Grey and 2 Pied Wagtails were noted, 2 House Martins and a Sand Martin came through and extra Swallows on the island were obviously ready to move on.

 Wildfowl today included 36 Shelduck, the 8 Eiders and 2 Wigeon.

 ....... and the sea and shore bird sightings were 30 Sandwich Tern, 10 Gannets, 29 Common Scoter, a Great Crested Grebe, a Guillemot, and an exceptional 6 Shags. Little Egrets were also in good numbers with 12 today including one of the colour rings birds seen here recently.

 

 

The usual waders were around at the high tide, there were 45 Sanderling, 70 Turnstone, 50 Knot, 180 Dunlin, 35 Ringed Plover, 60 Redshank, 42 Curlew with 2 Whimbrel. Kestrel and Peregrine were both listed today. Last nights moth trap was very sucessful with the calm conditions:  

 

 A major influx of Red Admirals arrived during the day with 232 arriving to the island. 

 A Migrant Hawker dragonfly was in old obs garden. Small White butterflies also showed.

Ringed: 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Linnets, 1 Wren.

Photos CJW, SRW 

30th August 2024

 Weather: W force 3,  later NNE force 2   slight mist around coasts

 There were 7 Wheatears today, the most for a while.

A single Willow Warbler was also here and was the only other obvious migrant on the ground. An Arctic Skua was the highlight on the sea and was off the west hoyle bank before heading off towards Wales, while others present were 2 Gannets, 3 Scoter, a Great Crested Grebe and 6 Sandwich Terns. A Shag showed on the rocks at dawn.

 A female Sparrowhawk was about today in addition to the Kestrel which is always easier to see. Shelduck numbered 49 birds and 8 Eiders were here. Amongst the waders a Greenshank took pride of place, a single Whimbrel was present as were 32 Curlew, 30 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling, 72 Turnstone and  64 Redshank. Only 4 Little Egrets were seen.  A Raven visited as they have been doing recently. Butterflies in the air today included Red Admiral, both Large and Small Whites, also a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly and Common Frog.

Photo CJW 

28th August 2024

 Weather: ESE force 3/4  some rain during the morning.

 It was pleasing that 2 Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff arrived this morning, also 3 Wheatears during the day. A Willow Warbler was ringed,

 

 and also a Chiffchaff, enabling our readers to test their identification skills

There were few waders seen at the low tide, but still 120 Ringed Plover and 2 Whimbrel were noted. Another good number of Little Egrets (9), 6 Shelduck, a Grey Heron and a Peregrine were on the list. Eight Eiders also featured but only 6 Sandwich Terns, those that remain are harder to see at low tide. Between the north end and the light no less than 7 Rock Pipits were about, 5 of them with our colour rings. The calmer winds last night produced a better moth catch, including this Ruby Tiger.

Photos SRW
 

27th August 2024

Weather: SSE force 4    rain from mid-morning

 It was obviously the wrong type of south easterly for any migrants this morning and rain later did not help the observers either. One of the main interests this morning was the sighting of 2 Little Egrets with colour rings. Information received tells us that they were both ringed at Hale (borough of Halton) this year from broods of four. The first on the 10th May and the second the 5th July. It is the first time either has been reported since.

 

.... the second bird

No less than 18 Little Egrets were counted today, this time in late summer is normally the peak for them following post breeding dispersal. If that wasn't enough 2 Shags were here today and one of them was also colour ringed.

 The early arrival Pale-bellied Brent from yesterday was present again this morning.

Sixty Six Shelduck showed early on and 9 Eiders drifted about at the north end. A very large count of 340 Ringed Plover was made early on after the tide.

Six Whimbrel are still present as are single Grey Heron, Kestrel and Peregrine.

Photos SRW

26th August 2024

 Weather: SW force 3,  light rain.  later SSW 5

Several species made a first appearance for the autumn today, for instance this pale-bellied Brent Goose that flew east passed the island, It is a very early arrival.

and 2 Grey Wagtails were also first of the autumn, as was this Shag.

An Osprey flew south west after coming in low over the East Hoyle (thanks to AMC for the call) then turned south at Red Rocks, gained height and flew across the south end Middle to North Wales … amazing as nothing went up anywhere around the island.

Amongst the waders were 55 Curlew and 4 Whimbrel until another 15 Whimbrel were seen to fly south.

 

Seven Bar-tailed Godwits were counted, also 225 Ringed Plover, 32 Knot, 140 Dunlin, 35 Sanderling, 28 Redshank and 45 Turnstone.

 

Oystercatchers are building up to big numbers now, there were 7,500 today,

Seabirds showed well today with 8 Arctic Skuas, 14 Gannets, 425 Sandwich and 11 Common Terns and 85 Common Scoter. Nine Eiders stayed with us with 5 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons also on the shore, and both Kestrel and Peregrine were in the air.

Photos SRW

25th August 2024

 Weather: SW force 5

 Chief surprise of the morning was a Whinchat by the pond on a blusterly south westerly.

 

A single Wheatear and a single Willow Warbler were other migrants on the island this morning.

There have been more records of Ravens in the last few years, but today there were an exceptional four.

 After the early tide 725 Sandwich Terns moved away to the west,

while there were 8 Common Terns and 3 Arctic Terns were recognised on the sea. Waders seen were  100 Dunlin, 18 Redshank, 24 Turnstone. 

  and 3 Whimbrel were among the 75 Curlew.

  Also on the list: 7 Eider, 6 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Heron.

 The Kestrel was hunting the island again today.

 

Photos AEH