20th March 2026

 Weather:  SE force 4 with fog,   turning to mist by the afternoon

 The fog was thick enough to make the island initially out of sight from the shore.

 A Chiffchaff and a few Goldcrests were the clue that it could be another good day and as the tide approached the numbers grew to 3 Chiffchaffs and 9 Goldcrests. One of the highlights was the first Swallow of the spring which was spotted at the north end and then again at the south end. It is well known at Hilbre that most passage birds travel south in both autumn and spring, theories abound for this, none of which can be proven. A small movement of Meadow Pipits were as expected, with other arrivals being 5 Pied Wagtails, a Skylark, just a single Woodpigeon today and 8 Siskins and 3 Chaffinches (below in mist)

Wheatears did not let us down, the first was at the south end of Middle, then 2 more and another down the west side ending up on 'Wheatear Hill'. There were 3 caught for ringing including 2 females. One was seen to arrive in the mist.

 

 

  

  

 Eight Rock Pipits seem to be resident at the moment, most have our colour rings. 

 

A Raven was the sole corvid today apart from the 2 Carrion Crows hanging about the island. 

The breeze eased to calm conditions later in the morning making a sea watch desireable and increasing the number of sightings. Great Crested Grebes numbered 22, there were 22 Common Scoter, 8 Red breasted Mergansers and 2 Red throated Divers. A single dark-bellied Brent was here with about 120 pale-bellied Brent. Eight Shelduck were noted and a pair of Eider flew passed the north end.

 The male Scaup from the WKML seems to have made Hilbre it's new home.

 Six Little Egrets was a better total than over the last week or so. A few wader counts on the very high tide today were 2,500 Oystercatchers, 70 Grey Plover, 70 Curlew, 12 Ringed Plover, 130 Redshank, 42 Sanderling, 35 Turnstone and just one Purple Sandpiper. Seventeen birds ringed today is slightly less than Wednesday but is still a good total for a March day. Two Small Tortoiseshell butterflies enjoyed the spring like weather and frogspawn was sighted in the pond.

 Photos SRW