31st October 2010

Gentle easterlies with some coastal mist greeted the observers this morning and during the first hour or so there was some movement of Blackbirds, (below, 24 in total), with 2 Song Thrushes, but slightly surprisingly given the conditions, no Redwings. Overhead were 5 Brambling and 5 Siskin and a scattering of other finches (including a Greenfinch on the garden feeder, bottom right)), also 49 Starlings, 3 Skylarks, 65 Linnets, about 50 Meadow Pipits and a House Sparrow. 











At 10.30hrs a Firecrest was trapped in the old obs garden, the third Firecrest of the autumn for Hilbre, but unlike the last bird this time it typically appeared without any Goldcrests being on the island.


Two Rock Pipits were still about, one of which was retrapped today and seems to be in fine condition (left).
There were no surprises on the sea watch, just counts of the usual species:- 6 Red-throated Divers, 28 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Guillemots, 2 Razorbills and a Common Scoter.
On the shore 106 Redshanks was the highest number for some time, others counted included 47 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Little Egrets and 5 Grey Herons.
Yesterday evening Seven Purple Sandpipers were found at the north end.
Ringed:- 5 Blackbirds, 1 Firecrest, 1 Meadow Pipit.
(DB+ESCA,JE,CJ,PSW,+SH) [680] photos CJ

29th October 2010

The Brents are up to 42 birds and there were excellent counts of 420 Shelduck, 250 Grey Plover and 370 Curlew. Two Purple Sandpipers were at the north end.
(DB)

28th October 2010

A short visit this morning found a Reed Bunting in the trapping area together with the dutch ringed Blackcap from yesterday. Sixteen Skylarks passed also 6 Greenfinches, 1 Goldfinch and 73 Linnets.
Unusual sightings today included a Common Seal, the evanescent Rabbit, and strangest of all, a predated Coot, freshly dead on the shore east of the island.
(DB)

27th October 2010

If there was any doubt as to where many of the birds arriving at Hilbre in the late autumn come from, it was once more demonstrated by the capture of a male Blackcap today bearing a dutch ring (right). This follows on from the Blackbirds from the continent trapped last autumn. All the more surprising as the Blackcap and a female Blackbird were the only birds captured today. The Blackcap yesterday was not ringed and therefore a different bird.
Five juvenile/female Eiders were by Little Eye later and 2 Whooper Swans (the first of the autumn seen from Hilbre) flew south/south west.
A good number of Meadow Pipits were noted today with a single Redwing and 2 Skylarks but few other passerines. An accurate count of the Turnstones revealed 112 birds but only 37 Brent could be found.
The resident rabbit showed itself once more today.
Ringed :- 1 Blackbird
(DB,CJW) [673] photo CJW

26th October 2010

The first Hen harrier of the autumn/winter flew passed the obs today and was the star bird of a good and varied day. A pair (male and female) of Goldeneye, also the first of the 'winter' were off the north end in the morning and other duck logged were 5 Teal and a single Wigeon.
The Brent are up to 42 individuals as they continue to increase, also on the shore were 4 Little Egrets, 35 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Black-tailed Godwit and excellent counts of 6,500 Dunlin, 4,000 Knot, 560 Sanderling and 360 Shelduck. A Mute Swan flew south west passed the island. A Blackcap was the only significant bird in the trapping areas.
(DB,NDW + 2)

25th October 2010

The Brent reappeared today but just 27 birds, with 2 Wigeon and a Common Scoter the only other wildfowl. The sea had 5 Red-throated Divers, 12 Great Crested Grebes and 5 Guillemot but land birds were few with 2 Blackbirds and 2 Rock Pipits on the island and 2 Skylarks over.
(AAB,DB,MGT)

24th October 2010

A sunny day with a cold north easterly found little on the islands initially with a single Blackbird and Song Thrush and a few finches dropping in from time to time, also a Reed Bunting that was ringed later (right). Small flocks of Linnets and Meadows Pipits showed early on, 2 Siskin called overhead and a total of 32 Skylarks passed through, mostly travelling east low over the sea, also 4 Starlings that landed on the mast for a while.
The best birds of the day was a Black-throated Diver which flew past the north end at high tide (below), also the 2 Lapland Buntings that were flushed from Middle after the tide and 3 Scaup that were in the channel to the east of Little Eye also on the ebb.
Four Thousand Oystercatchers and many Curlew managed to roost the tide on Middle undisturbed by Peregrines or the several canoes and boats close to the islands. No sign of any Brents before or after the tide, just 2 Little Egrets with the waders on Middle.
In addition to the Black throated Diver the sea watch counted 14 Red-throated Divers and a number of Great Crested Grebes and Guillemots and 3 Common Scoter.
Ringed:- 2 Greenfinches, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Wren.

(JE,CJ,PSW + SH) [672] photos CJ & PSW

22nd October 2010

The good news today is that the L/B Brent are already up to 37 with at least 2 family parties of 2 & 4 juvs with parents. None were sporting colour-rings unfortunately.
A juv Mute Swan flew towards Wales well before the tide and 6 Pintail were in the gutter after the tide.
Passerines were few in species although there were some 40 Meadow Pipits including a few 'in-off' & about 30 Linnets on Middle before the tide. The Linnets relocated to the salt marsh later in the day. One Rock Pipit was at the North end. The usual several Robins, Wrens & Dunnocks were around with one Blackbird.
Most of the day was spent sea-watching with counts of 23 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Red-throated Diver, 40 Scoter, 7 Gannet & 3 Guillemot. Wader numbers are starting to build up with 130 Turnstones but no Purple Sandpipers yet.
(CS)