10th November 2020

 Weather: ESE force 1     some mist around coasts

The Short-eared Owl was found again this morning around the north end and then the top of the island, it stayed for an hour or so. Migration was sparse with a number of Starlings and a few Skylarks passing over, also 4 Pied Wagtails and a Chaffinch and Goldfinch appearing briefly. Four Blackbirds arrived overnight with 2 Song Thrushes but few stayed about. Two Common Snipe flew passed the obs to the west. Meadow Pipits were more numerous than of late with about 30 birds roaming in small groups about the island. Purple Sandpipers still number 3 birds, I wonder how many more we can get this winter, it's certainly not like the old days. In the afternoon a good number of Bar-tailed Godwits flew over the island, there had been only 2 or 3 lately.

 

 A sea watch yielded 7 Red-throated Divers and 5 Guillemots.

photos AS

9th November 2020

 Weather: SE force 3/4

 Early morning there were 8 Wigeon and a Shoveler on the north shore tide edge, with another 11 Wigeon arrving as the tide flooded. 

 

Shoveler is still scarce at Hilbre although increasing in recent years. Not to be outdone 8 Teal had flown between the islands at low tide while the Brent count was 333 birds. Four Blackbirds flew south, another 4 were down on the island with 4 Song Thrushes, 5 Chaffinches and 3 Robins. 

Three Rock Pipits were present and Wrens were numerous enough to just make double figures, evidence of local passage. Groups of 13 then 5 Starlings passed over. A Peregrine hunted the gutter pre-dawn, but surving were 3 Purple Sandpipers, 49 Turnstones, 62 Redshank, 80 Dunlin, 3 Grey Plover and 3 Knot. Talking about surviving, the Fox still gives evidence of its presence.

photos AS

8th November 2020

 Weather:  S force 3

An early walk out to Hilbre this morning, and Redwings, Song Thrush and Pink Footed Geese could be heard overhead in the darkness. Starlings were moving in numbers from first light and all headed in a south westerly direction. Feeding around the island with the 250 pale-bellied and 2 dark-bellied Brent Geese were 5 Pintail, 3 Teal and a Wigeon.

 A Fieldfare made the log in addition to the 8 Redwings, 4 Song Thrush and 2 Blackbirds. A male Blackcap was a pleasing find today. A single Purple Sandpiper was logged but there were 120 Turnstones and 110 Redshank. A Shag made a nice contrast to the 1,100 Cormorants seen this morning. As usual the Kestrel kept us company on the island.

  photos AEH

7th November 2020

 Weather: SE force 4

A very 'fresh' feel to the morning and again a day of groups of Starlings flying over to the west (below), totalling about 1,400 and a few Blackbirds (6) and Song Thrushes (3) down on the island. 

As yesterday Chaffinches (15) were also moving with a couple of Goldfinches. Common Snipe are typical autumn visitors here and 2 were present today while wildfowl this morning included 3 Pintail and 3 Eiders. Among the 254 Brent seen today was a colour ringed returnee for the winter.

Three Rock Pipits were also about, they normally pass through here at this time of year, but they could also stay the winter. Ringing them would prove the point.

photo AS & SRW

6th November 2020

 Weather: SE force 1/2, heavy mist, Wales not visible

At last the wind and rain has ceased and the and a south easterly airstream brought hope of late autumn migrants. Several Blackbirds and Song Thrushes arrived together with a small number of Redwings and a few Chaffinches. Starlings flew over in small flocks all morning, as did a scatter of Skylarks. First thing a Merlin hunted at Little Eye but most of the action happened on the main island. The star of the show was a Woodcock that was flushed several times from most corners of the island, even the west side rocks. A Sparrowhawk was seen briefly and then a Short-eared Owl appeared, competing with the Woodcook to show up at as many places as possible, it was later realised there were indeed 2 of the owls when both were seen at the same time. 

A Whooper Swan flew passed the north end, and there were other wildfowl in the form of 41 Shelduck, 16 Wigeon and a Teal.

Later came a Pintail and female Gossander, also present was a massive count of 329 pale-bellied Brent with 3 dark-bellied individuals. Mid-morning 2 Fieldfares flew south east over the island, completing the list of all the regular thrushes. Over the high tide attention transfered to the sea and shore with 16 Red-throated Divers, 11 Guillemots and 62 Common Scoters coming into view (one of them settling on the rocks)

while waders included 123 Turnstone, 43 Grey Plover and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit. The Kestrel continued to hunt for voles and a Peregrine was sighted.

Ringed: 3 Blackbirds, 3 Song Thrushes.

photos AS

5th November 2020

Weather:    W force 2

Both Kestrel and Peregrine were seen today but migrants were as expected - few and far between, a Chaffinch, a Skylark and a Song Thrush. Amongst the 300 or so Brent was the colour ringed individual marked TXRB. Some counts of waders included 220 Sanderling, 84 Redshank, 60 Turnstone and 4 Bar-tailed Godwits. A Rock Pipit and 13 Linnets were noted.

 

28th October 2020

 Weather: S S W force 3, later WSW force 4,  showers

Good counts from the island today included 400 Shelduck, 300 Knot, 72 Redshank, 

 also 80 Dunlin, 2 Grey Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 158 Turnstones and 3 Purple Sandpiper,

 while looking at the sea was productive with 6 Red-throated Divers,

 Also 650 Common Scoter, 5 Great Crested Grebes, a Red-breasted Merganser, and 2 Gannets. A single Skylark was noted and a Blackbird was about the island. A Peregrine and the Kestrel added interest to the day.

 There was fresh evidence of the Red Fox on the island.

photos AS

24th October 2020

 Weather:   S veering SW    rain heavy at times

With rain and low cloud there wasn’t much hope of catching any migrant passerines (although a single Redwing was seen in the SK paddock and later seen flying south off the island during a brief respite in the weather) today so attention turned to sifting through the increased number of Brent Geese and waders. Grey Plovers were feeding along the edge of the gutter along with Turnstone, Curlew, Redshank and a single Bar-tailed Godwit. One of the Grey Plover was colour flagged LA and is a bird ringed by the SCAN ringing group in March 2019 at Altcar. Both the secretary and chairman of Hilbre Birds Obs were present that day!

The colour ringed Brent goose, Red X Blue T, was feeding on the Whaleback with a large flock of over 180 Brents.

Total numbers around the island today were well over 250 but as they were all spread  out along the reef counting was difficult. This colour ringed Brent was first seen on  4th December 2019 at Hilbre and is known to have been ringed on the breeding grounds in Canada. Dark-bellied Brent Geese were also present and it was noted that one of them has a metal ring on one leg. It would be interesting to try and get better photos over the winter to try and decipher the ring number to see where this bird has originated from.

The only other birds of note today were two Grey Herons, that appeared to be roosting in the bracken on the east side to the south of the Observatory, and at least 120 Shelduck.

 photos PSW