Hilbre Bird Observatory: 9th November 2024

Weather: ESE force 3 misty

Another great day of migration on the island. As with so many days recently, today started with the Barn Owl at dawn when it showed between the old obs and Telegraph west garden at around 7 am and sat on fog cottage.

It turned out to be an epic thrush passage day, counts were of 33 Redwings,

and 11 Fieldfares,

also 5 Song Thrushes and 43 Blackbirds, most of the Blackbirds were moving through in a southerly direction and 7 were ringed and amongst them was the prize of the group which was a Swedish ringed bird,

Obviously the southerly direction was not a local movement! A Blackcap was caught and ringed.

Fifteen Meadow Pipits also passed through and Starlings were another species moving with 36 birds.

Many finches were featured this morning with records of 12 Chaffinches, 4 Siskins and 3 Goldfinches, although the 5 Brambling were a little more unusual. A male Blackcap was caught and ringed. The duck arrivals included 5 Teal, 3 Wigeon, a Pintail

and 3 Shoveler (which have not been so scarce lately).

Thirty Gannets fed on the sea off the north end as did a Guillemot and 2 Great Crested Grebes, while a Razorbill flew west. Normally a Woodcock (found by Matt Thomas) would stand out on a quiet day but there were so many records there were other distractions than just todays bird. There were no large gatherings of waders as the tide was low all day but a German colour ringed Curlew among 45 present was notable.

On the shore were 2 Grey Herons and 2 Little Egrets. Following the 8 dark-bellied Brent yesterday there were just 3 sighted today with 320+ pale-bellied.