20th September 2026

Weather:  WNW 6, 7/8 cloud, good vis

With the sea-watching weather continuing it was an early start for three members (one who had stayed over and the others joined before dawn).  Unlike on many previous occasions ... they would not be disappointed as today was an outstanding day.

The first birds were seen before dawn with Manx Shearwaters passing close in to the North End soon to be followed by the star of the show - Leach's Petrels (our logo bird of course).

It was great to see some skuas after it has been such a poor year for them so far.  Five Arctic Skuas were seen including a single adult pale phase that flew in and landed on the sand.  

Meanwhile, a Great Skua (aka 'Bonxie') approached menacingly from the North East and headed straight for the north end before flying right behind the sea-watching hide and over the heads of observers.  Amazing views! The photographs indicate it was ringed so we are hopeful that a couple of digits made lead us to work out where it was ringed (if not the date it was ringed).

Whilst watching a Leach's Petrel heading west one sharp-eyed observer picked up a Grey Phalarope whizzing west but it disappeared behind the waves having ditched onto the sea.  However, seconds later and it was on the move again and the other observers present were able to get onto this delightful oceanic wader.  It ditched in a couple more times before disappearing one final time.  A screenshot from a video grab means today's bird only got the record shot below.

However, below is a library photograph of last year's Grey Phalarope on the East Hoyle sandbank for reference (https://hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/2025/09/22nd-september-2025.html).

Single Arctic Tern and only 8 Sandwich Terns and a single juvenile Kittiwake were noted and 3 Red-throated Diver were seen on the evening tide (with none present in the morning) and only a single Great Crested Grebe was on the sea.

A solitary juvenile Gannet passed through in the evening.

Amazingly a Blackcap appeared in the traps late morning and late in the day an Osprey was spotted along North Wirral and was picked up east of the Hoylake Lifeboat Station from the island.  An amazing end of a brilliant day on the island.

Osprey (seen over Leasowe) - Sean O'Hara

The final counts for the day was 131 Leach's Petrels (90 pre-dawn to 1030hrs, 22 reported to us during the day and 19 between 5-7pm) - we suspect there were more between 1030am-5pm as 50 were reported from Point of Ayr in North Wales between 4-5pm. 

Photos by AEH, CJW, SRW and Sean O'Hara (Osprey)