30th September 2024

 Weather: NNW force 4.   rain

A late afternoon visit in the rain which had been falling all day was to record details from the island for the Winter gull survey. For those that are gull fans the results were as follows: Herring Gull 600, Black-headed Gull  454, Common Gull 71, Great Black-backed Gull 37, Lesser Black-backed Gull 17. Birds seen incidentally were 7 Goosander, a Goldcrest, 2 Swallows, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 22 Ringed Plover, a Grey Plover, 150 Knot, 8 Dunlin. Good counts of 182 Brent were made. 

 

 Seventeen Little Egrets and 750 Shelduck were impressive.

 

 

A juvenile female Peregrine was the only raptor.

 Photos SRW

29th September 2024

 Weather: ESE force 3

 

 'Red sky in the morning etc..' A really spectacular start to the day. 

A single Wigeon first thing was joined by 2 more in the gutter as the tide made, nearby were 3 female Eider with a male seen separately later, 60 Brent fed between the islands but more were tucked away on the west side of the reef and 360 Shelduck could be seen south of the Tanskeys after tide. Two immature Peregrine interacted on the west side, a male and a female with the size difference being very notable.

 

The Kestrel was also about along with a Sparrowhawk which flew around the North End and was later caught and ringed .

 

 Out by the windfarm 3,500 Common Scoter were in the air and at half distance was a Red-throated Diver. Eighteen Bar-tailed Godwit flew east over the Obs and 25 Sanderling flew low over the gutter. Long-legged feeders around the islands were 3 Grey Herons and 9 Little Egrets. There were 60 Redshank and 120 Curlew.

Single Chiffchaffs and Goldcrest were on the island, and in addition to the Sparrowhawk, 2 Robins and a Song Thrush were ringed today.

Photos AS, SRW

28th September 2024

 Weather: NNW force 4   drizzle later in the morning

 

An early start for the morning tide gave impressive views of the mainland and also the 1,500 pink-footed Geese arriving in the Dee.

There are still 4 Swallows on the island which included a juvenile that had just fledged, a very late arrival into this world.

A Goldcrest was present, but not always giving brilliant views.

A Skylark flew over and our regular passerines on the island included 3 Rock Pipits, 10 Meadow Pipits, 5 Blackbirds, 6 Robins and 8 Wrens.

  At least 13 Linnets are still here.

Of the sea birds, seen were 2,000 Common Scoter, 3 Guillemots and 2 Great Crested Grebes while among wildfowl were Brent showing in the order of 150 birds, a good count of Shelduck numbered 324, and just 5 of our Eiders were present. Single Bar-tailed Godwit and Knot were among the more numerous 120 Dunlin, 40 Turnstone, 25 Ringed Plover, 30 Redshank and 200 Curlew.

The Kestrel was not seen but an immature Peregrine was, also 9 Little Egret, a Shag and 2 Grey Herons.

Photos AEH

27th September 2024

Weather: N force 4

 

A mid-morning visit saw the Brent building up towards the winter totals that we expect, there were 158 this morning and with 94 Shelduck present and our 5 of our resident Eiders. Four Swallows are also still here. A Shag was on the whaleback, a Guillemot at sea and just a single Grey Heron and 4 Little Egrets seen.

A number of waders were noted including 310 Curlew, 45 Dunlin, 22 Turnstone and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Photos SRW

26th September 2024

 Weather: NE force 1,  mizzle. SE 1 by afternoon

A few migrants popped in to Hilbre in the form a Wheatear, a Grey Wagtail, 5 Skylarks and a Chiffchaff.

It is always pleasing to see a Wheatear on the island especially late in the season, although we often see them ocassionally up to the end of October.

 

 

Some of the regular winter species were in good numbers today, 12 Blackbirds, 8 Robins and 2 Song Thrushes. A flock of Pink-footed Geese (80) flew over, certainly will be a familiar sight for the next few months, other wildfowl included 2,000 Common Scoter, 130 Shelduck and 6 Eider. Two Shags were around the island (below) and 2 others were on the WK marine lake with 11 Goosanders.

also hauled out at the north end were a couple of Grey Seals.

Two Guillemots were spotted on the sea with a Great Crested Grebe,waders were scarce around the island, there were 125 Curlew, 15 Ringed Plover and 20 Redshank. A juvenile Peregrine gave a good show about the island.

The Kestrel was also here today. Two Red Admiral butterflies flew but an unusual find was a Sycamore moth caterpillar.

Photos SRW

25th September 2024

 Weather: SE force 3

A Marsh Harrier appeared west of Middle and drifted eastward but then turned (showing its yellow head) and went back westward dropping in to land on the sands west of Little Eye where it stayed for at least 30 minutes, although moving once when harassed by gulls. Other raptors today were a female Kestrel around the island and a female Peregrine shooting dow the east side putting up the waders. The early morning had found 76 Shelduck in and around the ebbing gutter and a Red-breasted Merganser that flew north down the gutter, The Eider increased to 7 today with an extra male having arrived and Brent Geese have also increased with 136 being noted but sadly no juvenile birds could be found in the flock so far.

 Little Egrets numbered 14 together with 2 Grey Herons.

 

Seen on and around the island this morning were 300 Common Scoter, 8 Rock Pipits, 7 Blackbirds, 16 Meadow Pipits, also the regular waders including 260 Curlew, 100 Dunlin, 57 Redshank and 14 Turnstone. 

 Photos AS

24th September 2024

 Weather: WNW force 4    cloudy some rain and drizzle

 

 

A predictably quiet couple of hours between more rain this morning. The only surprise was that a Goldcrest had arrived in the obs garden, although over the years we have noticed that they do not necessarily rely on some south or east in the wind to make it here as warblers almost invariably do. Eight Swallows are still about the island. Little Egrets are at their peak around the island at this time, there were 15 today. Grey Herons are more steady, just 2 this morning. The Kestrel showed as did the 6 Eiders and 14 Shelduck. The Brents were nice building up to 98 in the gutter as the tide flooded. 

 

Photos SRW

23rd September 2024

 Weather: NNE force 3,  drizzle then  heavy rain from mid-morning

A very soggy morning in which our observer managed to check the island during a brief dry interlude. Noted were just 11 Brent Geese, the remainder would have been lurking elsewhere at the low tide.

There were 80 Shelduck and the same 6 Eiders as the last few days also 7 Little Egret, a Grey Heron and a juvenile Peregrine which scattered some of the 3,500 Oystercatchers around the island.

A single Wheatear was on 'Wheatear wall' with no other small migrants about apart from maybe some of the 8 Swallows and 7 Blackbirds logged. A few waders were noticed during the downpour : 45 Curlew, 38 Turnstone, 22 Ringed Plover. Over the last few days 2 Shags have made themselves at home on the W K marine lake.

Photos SRW

21st September 2024

 Weather: NE force 3,   NNE 3 with rain showers late afternoon

On the sea in front of the marsh at high tide 55 Brent Geese and 58 Shelduck were noted, with 168 Curlew on the sand later. A Wigeon was at the North End at first light, on the west side of Hilbre a Great Crested Grebe was diving, a Shag was on the Whaleback and 6 Eider on the sea. One hundred and fifty Dunlin roosted on the main island over tide along with 35 Redshank a Sanderling and 38 Ringed Plover.

 

 Small birds passing that were here today were: 2 Skylarks, 1 Grey Wagtail, 6 House Martins, 6 Swallows and a Wheatear.

Two Peregrine again disturbed the waders early morning and a Kestrel hovered above for most of the day.

Two Gannets, 22 Scoter, and a Sandwich Tern were the best on the sea. Thirty Red Admiral flew south along the west cliff, there was no sight of the Weasel today although alarm calling local birds indicated that it is still about.

 Photos AS

20th September 2024

Weather: E force 3, mist around the estuary, with complete cloud cover arriving by 07.00hrs.   WNW 2 by afternoon

Shortly after 08.30 this morning a Yellow-browed Warbler appeared in the obs garden. Unfortunately the siberian migrant disappeared after a short time and was not relocated until several hours later in the east side garden of Telegraph House.

 

  Eventually it flew to the 'heli' trap and was duly ringed at 17.35 hrs. 

This is the earliest ever at Hilbre, most have been here in October. It was not the sole phylloscopus warbler on the island this morning , there were 7 Chiffchaffs.....

 ........... and 2 Willow Warblers.

 

 Five Skylarks, a Goldcrest and 5 Wheatears were scattered on different islands.

A male Stonechat added to the good bird list and a Sand Martin and 3 House Martins were flying among the Swallows.

The Pink-footed Geese made their usual flypast, today flocks in the morning of  130, 50, 40, 22 and 7 and early on a Snipe made itself known. Sixty eight Brent, 66 Shelduck and a single Eider completed the wildfowl. Two Red-throated Divers, a Guillemot and a Great Crested Grebe were the only sea birds. Two Kestrels were here and 2 Peregrines were noted.

The Weasel of yesterday took to hiding in a wall and popping its head out when it was curious.

Photos AEH, SRW