2nd December 2025

 Weather:  SSE force 3/4   ESE 3 mid-afternoon

A mid-morning arrival detected a Snow Bunting flying over Little Eye and became the highlight of the day right away. No other small migrants as expected and birds on the sea were restricted to 3 Great Crested Grebes and 450 Common Scoter.

 Other wildfowl fared better with 285 Brent.

and 220 Shelduck. 

 Wader numbers counted were 240 Curlew, 125 Turnstone, 115 Redshank, 25 Dunlin and 180 Sanderling.

 Four Grey Herons fed around the island.

 and 2 Grey Herons.

 

 Photos SRW

28th November 2025

 Weather: SSW force 7      showers

 It was cool and sunny for a mid-morning visit until the showers came with a heavy spell of rain.

........ followed by sunny spells

The weather was a major part of the experience of the visit as bird highlights were few again today. Three Pintail (1male) were the only non-regular wildfowl amongst the 246 Brent, 300 Common Scoter and several dozen Shelduck seen flying mid-afternoon. 

 Two Red-thoated Divers were on the sea, also 3 Great Crested Grebes but waders numbers were few at the present low tides and only 2 Purple Sandpiers were noted. The island Fox that was seen the other day was today sniffing around Niffy bay. 

 Photos SRW

27th November 2025

 Weather: SSW force 5   cloudy with  heat haze

It was unseasonably warm after the recent days but very quiet on this short visit with no sign of any migrants. A Raven was again present as they often are these days. About 220 Scoter were off shore, also 2 Great Crested Grebes sat on the sea, 55 Shelduck and 280 Brent were logged, and a few waders were noted (65 Turnstone, 55 Redshank, 5 Purple Sandpipers). Just the odd wintering passerine was around. Half a dozen jellyfish were on the tideline west of Little Eye.

 

 Photos SRW
 

26th November 2025

 Weather: ESE force 4/5

 An estimated 2,250 Common Scoter were on the sea distantly off towards the north while a very small number stayed on the rocks around the island.

 

The female Eider was also there..

 ...and of course over 320 Brent are ever present.

 Many Shelduck were seen today (450), also 6 Teal, 3 of each sex.

A male Scaup was the  highlight in terms of the scarcest of the wildfowl in our area nowadays. Others on the sea included a Red-throated Diver and 5 Great Crested Grebes. Amongst the waders 145 Turnstone and 11 Purple Sandpipers were the best.

The sole passing migrant was a Redwing that flew over the island. A Raven was on the shore.

Photos SRW  

21st November 2025

 Weather: SE force 2, veering SSE 2

A very cold but beautifully sunny day with great views of the distant Carneddau mountains in north wales. 

 

The mid-winter feel suited the count of 450 Brent Geese (surely near the peak for the winter?), also two flocks of 32 and 21 Wigeon.

 

In addition were 8 Goosander and the female Eider. Large flocks of Knot are flying in the estuary now, 6000 seen today with 2000 Dunlin, 140 Turnstone, 120 Sanderling and now 8 Purple Sandpipers.

 

A Sparrowhawk showed up and a Peregrine too (maybe to try its luck with the waders, while the Kestrel had less ambitious targets. On the sea were 3 Red-throated Divers, 800 Common Scoter and 4 Great Crested Grebes. Winter species hanging around at the moment are 3 Blackbirds, 5 Rock Pipits, 6 Robins and 6 Wrens. The days are short just now and the shadows long, a clear sky is recipe for a lovely evening light.

Photos PSW, SRW 

16th November 2025

 Weather: NE force 2  later NNE 3

 A report from seaforth that 8 Whooper Swans were heading towards Wirral put our Hilbre member on alert and sure enough they were seen to cut the corner of Wirral to enter the Dee. Probably the same were later followed from the west passed the north end towards the north Wirral mainland.

  

Other wildfowl today were 4 Wigeon going south, 195 Shelduck, 360 Brent and the female Eider around the island. The 1,200 Scoter were mainly out to sea but several gave close views.

A look at the sea also found 3 Red-throated Divers and 6 Great Crested Grebes. The only small 'migrants' were a Skylark heading south and a Starling. Good numbers of waders included about 300 Sanderling, 2500 Knot, 1300 Dunlin, 320 Curlew, 110 Grey Plover, 2 Purple Sandpiper and a Common Snipe. A Raven visited and feeding around the islands were 5 Little Egret and 2 Grey Heron.

Photos SRW

15th November 2025

 Weather: E force 4     drizzle

A brief afternoon visit on a grey and drizzly day had not a lot to report. A pair of Peregrines rested on the shore showing the size difference between male (left) and female.

 

Still only 2 Purple Sandpipers were showing after the tide but 3,800 Oystercatchers, 220 Curlew, 1,450 Knot, 420 Dunlin and 68 Turnstone were counted. There were 365 Brent Geese, 80 Shelduck and 2 Goosander noted with 2 Red-throated Divers, 600 Scoter and 2 Great Crested Grebes on the sea. The small number of wintering passerines about included the long staying Goldcrest. Three Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons fed around the shore.

 Photos SRW

13th November 2025

 Weather: SSW force 2    SW3 by midday

 A bright and sunny morning found a small scatter of migrants passing through during the morning including 2 Skylarks, 6 Starlings, 3 Siskin and 2 Chaffinches.

 A Goldcrest was caught and turned out to have been ringed here on 15th October, most Goldcrests only stay one or two days.

 A Merlin flew passed the west side.

 A pile of feathers found below a rocky outcrop were identified as Ringed Plover and this was probably a Merlin kill. 

 

 

The Kestrel was also here, drying out on one of the fence posts. 

 

Also on the island were some birds that may be staying for longer or wintering such as 4 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 4 Robins, a Dunnock and 3 Rock Pipits, some of which are birds in our colour ringing scheme.

 Other birds seen included 800 Common Scoter relatively close in, 3 Little Egret, a Grey Heron, a Great Crested Grebe, 100 Turnstone and 130 Redshank. Twelve Curlew were logged, one of them was the German ringed bird that was first seen in November 2024 and is back fir its second winter.

 

The damp weather over the last few days seems to have encouraged the growth of various fungi.

 Photos PSW, SRW 

12th November 2025

 Weather: ESE force 2/3   SE 0 later with drizzle

 

A quiet day as can be realised when 4 Wigeon off the south west side was probably the highlight of the day.

 Other wildfowl noted were 384 Brent Geese, 1,800 Common Scoter off to the north, 22 Shelduck and a female Eider. A Goldcrest was the sole migrant on the island with the exception of a Grey Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipits.

 The immature male Kestrel was here, also 2 Little Egrets and a single Grey Heron on the west side.

 

Just 3 Purple Sandpipers showed.

Photos SRW