17th October 2025

 Weather: ESE force 2, mist around the estuary, light air in afternoon

 As the tide was flooding a Firecrest was found in the obs garden, the first this year and very welcome was this fine looking bird.

 

It stayed in the obs garden until just before noon and was re-located about 4pm when it performed really well for the camera.

 

Quite often in the past when a Firecrest is here, there are no Goldcrests present, today was an exception because it arrived with 15 Goldcrests.

Plenty of other small migrants were around or passing over, 42 Skylarks, 13 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare, 2 Reed Buntings, 9 Pied Wagtails, a few dozen Meadow Pipits, a female Blackcap and 3 Chiffchaffs.

Nine Blackbirds were also present as were 12 Wrens, 8 Robins and 3 Dunnocks. Finches turned up in the form of 55 Linnets, a single Chaffinch....  

 and 4 Greenfinches which have been scarce in recent years. 

 

 Late in the morning a Woodcock was seen by the 'Newton' and eventually flushed out of the main pond, the first of the autumn for Hilbre.

 

and at lunchtime a Whooper Swan flew between the islands towards the west.

Eight Little Egrets and 3 Grey Herons fed in the gutter. Chief among the waders today (apart from the Woodcock) was a Snipe, a Black-tailed Godwit (and 12 Bar-tailed). Sea birds included 22 Gannets, 8 Red-throated Divers, 800 Common Scoter, 6 Guillemots and 4 Great Crested Grebes. Fifteen Shags included another remarkable flock of 14 together.

Ringed:  3 Goldcrest, 2 Linnet, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap, 1 Firecrest, 1 Wren, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Blackbird.

Photos AEH, SRW