13th May 2016

Weather:  NNW 4, backing NE, 1/8 cloud

A fairly quiet morning after yesterday's excitement with, unsurprisingly, no sign of the Nightjar.

However, the morning was livened up by the presence of a female Redstart which was trapped and ringed.

A few House Martins passed through (7) with a trickle of Swallows (34) adding to the local breeding birds.

A drake Eider made another appearance and 3 Little Terns were noted but the sea was otherwise quiet.

At lunchtime a Chiffchaff was found in the Heli.

Waders included 7 Whimbrel, 6 Bar-tailed Godwit and 13 Turnstone.  There was an increase in Little Egrets with eight counted.

The overnight moth trap contained a nice variety of moths including a Netted Pug at the light overnight and a Chinese Character (see above) and a Spruce Capet (see below) caught.

The thrift on the island is now beginning to carpet the west side of the island.

Meanwhile the Friends of Hilbre continued their voluntary work in the Gazebo Garden, by the mast and showing visitors the Grey Seals, with the Obs counting 342 seals on the West Hoyle sandbank haul out at low tide.

[280-24]

12th May 2016

Weather: NE 0-1, 1/8 cloud, 5 mile vis sunny

What a day!

It started quietly enough with observers arriving at the island later than recently as the wind had turned to the North East which usually means fewer migrants.  So it proved as a Whitethroat singing in the lower trapping paddock was the only real evidence of migration until an elusive Blackcap was found in the Old Obs garden.

At about 1135hrs observers were returning to the Obs when their attention was drawn to the Obs fence were a number of small birds of varying species had alighted in a row - Linnet, Meadow and Rock Pipit and a male Pied Wagtail all seemed interested in this corner of the Obs garden.  A look over the fence revealed their interest was a superb male Nightjar sat on the bench in the Obs garden.

The Nightjar showed superbly well for a short while as news was put out and the observers kept their distance (not even returning to the Obs building!).   Unfortunately the local breeding birds were not happy with this visitor (presumably misidentifying it as a Cuckoo or some other threat) and persisted with their harassing of the Nightjar until it was flushed and flew low down the Obs garden before others had arrived.

Fortunately, not long after birders from the mainland arrived it was relocated sat on a stunted silver birch tree along the south fence line of the Obs garden.

It caused a mini-twitch from the mainland with many local Obs members and visitors arriving and enjoying this Hilbre mega (photo below @matthomas966)

The bird then stayed in the same spot on a shaded branch until around 2140hrs when it was noted to have gone.

A superb bird - only the third record for the island and the first for 48 years; the first on 30th August 1965 was trapped and ringed, the second was seen on 28th May 1968.

11th May 2016

Weather: NE force 1/2
A brief visit logged 6 Whimbrel, a summer plumaged Grey Plover, 2 Swifts, and a Pied Wagtail.

10th May 2016

Weather:  E 1-2, drizzle

A couple of flava Wagtails flew over calling early morning and four Woodpigeons were noted but apart from those and a few House Martins there were very few passerine migrants.

However, waders were again very much in evidence with two fine summer plumaged Grey Plover.  A single flock of 39 Whimbrel (and two Oystercatchers tagging along) was an unusual sighting for Hilbre and a total of 45 Whimbrel for the day was an excellent count.

Dunlin numbers were building up again as observers left the island on the flooding tide.

A Greenshank was heard calling to the North East of the island (somewhere along the flooding tide edge of the East Hoyle) and this or another was picked up at Hoylake an hour or so later (see above and below by AEH).

A single Chiffchaff was the only migrant caught but the first Painted Lady butterfly of the year was noted north of the lookout.

A single first summer Little Gull watched heading south down the estuary was the final highlight of another lovely morning at the Obs.

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9th May 2016

Weather: SSE 0-1, 1/8 cloud, slight mist (clouding over and becoming muggy mid morning before clearing to become sunny again)

An early start for observers this morning was rewarded with a Short-eared Owl which was accidentally flushed from by 'Wheatear Wall' opposite the end of the Old Obs garden.

There was not a significant arrival of grounded migrants but both Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler could be heard singing on and off through the morning with two of the former and one of the latter caught and ringed.

Around 10am a stunning flock of at least ten summer plumaged Black Terns was noted dipping above the flat calm incoming tide off the East Hoyle sandbank.  Observers on the mainland were alerted and two members (who were already present) managed to see them from Red Rocks.

They meandered their way past the North End and then disappeared off towards the West Hoyle.  Not long after a further five birds arrived from the East swept into the bay off the East Hoyle of the incoming tide before briskly heading off West; 15+ Black Terns is an impressive count for Hilbre at any time of year but it is nice to be part of the ongoing national influx, perhaps there are more to look forward to.

Good numbers of Great Crested Grebes (65) were counted on the sea and a drake Eider flew around the North End.

As the tide rose the large numbers of Dunlin gathered at the South End along with Ringed Plovers, five summer plumaged Grey Plovers had been seen just after dawn on the shore by the ridge between Little and Middle.

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8th May 2016

Weather: S force 1/2 warm sunshine

Despite observers having to leave the island before the tide, a lot was crammed into the few hours from dawn available, producing many good finds. Nine flava Wagtails were recorded, a few of which came down to ground and at last Tree Pipits (6) arrived in the numbers expected, while more than a dozen Willow Warblers, 5 Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers and 16 Redpolls kept observers happy with the bonus of a male Blackcap and a Garden Warbler (first of the year) ringed as the tide flooded.

Another first of the year in the shape of a Common Swift flew passed the obs, but only 20 Swallows and 11 House Martins came through today. Also noted during the morning were 21 Goldfinches, 2 White Wagtails, a flock of 9 Collared Doves, while on the sea 2 Gannets appeared even on this fine warm day. Whimbrel now seem to be noticeably fewer in number than a few days ago but a Greenshank called south of the island and a Common Sandpiper did likewise unseen as the tide approached, while a few thousand Dunlin flew north in parties across the sand as observers left the island.

Ringed: 7 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 7 Redpoll, 1 Linnet.
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7th May 2016

Weather: SE force 2, by noon S then N/NE later

An improvement this morning in terms of migrants on the ground with 26 ringed and for the ringers the highlight was a bird that was already ringed; a Sedge Warbler that flew into the old obs net and when examined was bearing a french ring. A foreign ringed bird is a rare find, it happens maybe once a year on the island and details are anxiously awaited.

Forty Redpolls passed through today and 5 flava ('yellow') Wagtails, although just a single Tree Pipit called over, again emphasising how scarce they have been here so far this spring. About 20 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Sedge Warblers, a single Wheatear and a Redstart arrived safely and another feature today were 28 House Martins, a Sand Martin and 80 Swallows flying through although we still await the first Swift (overdue now). The only finches apart from the resident Linnets were 6 Goldfinches and 2 Siskins. A slightly unexpected guest (but regular at this time in spring) was a single Collared Dove. The Sandwich Terns calling around the islands were counted at 134 with 12 Common Terns.

Ringed: 14 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Whitethroats, 3 Lesser Redpolls, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Redstart, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Linnet.      [ 246-23]

6th May 2016

Weather: SE 0/1 later variable SW and N, misty around the coast

The weather appeared almost ideal this morning but looks can be deceptive and there were very few new grounded migrants today although 3 Blackcaps and a Whitethroat remained from yesterday.

A single Willow Warbler was new in and there was some visible migration with 2 Flava Wagtails over, a Reed Bunting briefly and a single Tree Pipit flew over buzzing as it went.  Tree Pipits have been very scarce on the islands so far this Spring. A couple of flava Wagtails passed overhead calling.

Despite the lack of migrant passerines some observers worked hard today and 'clocked up' 50 species on or from the islands.

The sea was flat calm for much of the day and provided more of the day's highlights.  12 Red-throated Divers were counted, many in summer plumage, 15 Great Crested Grebes and small numbers of summer plumaged Guillemot (40) and Razorbill (12) were noted.

Three stunning White Wagtails dropped in between the Obs and the pond whilst observers were watching the best sighting of the day; namely at least 5 Harbour Porpoise seen on and off from the Obs garden and the North End as the swam off the west side.

Waders were very much in evidence with 2250 Dunlin estimated IMF with 14 Whimbrel, 40 Ringed Plover, 22 Bar-tailed Godwit and a single Sanderling.

A phonecall from Red Rocks alerted observers at the Obs to a Short-eared Owl meandering its way up and down the dunes there.

Terns were seen during the tide but were particularly evident as the tide ebbed and they congregated on the East Hoyle sandbank with 40 Sandwich, 25 Common and 14 Little Terns noted.

Ringed: 4 Linnets, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Willow Warbler          [ 230-23 ]