Weather: WNW force 2/3 mist
A quiet morning with mist coming and going.
In addition to 25 Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern was also noted.
The small number of waders included 2 Whimbrel, 2 Curlew, 40 Sanderling, a Ringed Plover and a single Turnstone which was colour flagged. Other present were 9 Shelduck, 3 Little Egrets and a pair of Eiders. Butterflies included 2 Red Admirals and 8 Green-veined Whites.
Photos SRW
Weather: ENE force 2/3 misty
Unexpected event of the day was the fly-past of a Hooded Crow in an easterly direction. Unfortunately it was right into the sun for the camera, however it's features were clearly discernible.
There were 3 Whitethroats on the island also 5 Willow Warblers and the long billed Goldcrest of yesterday, which when weighed was marginally heavier today. Other
visitors were a Yellow Wagtail, a Starling flying south, 4 Goldfinches
and a couple of House Martins with about 40 migrant Swallows. Twelve Gannets and 60 Sandwich Terns were seen and 8 Shelduck and 12 Little Egrets stayed around the islands. Very small numbers of waders noticed today, 50 Dunlin, 25 Knot, 21 Turnstone, 4 Ringed Plover and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits. Insects were interesting with many Normada Bees seen here today, these are insects that are kleptoparasites of other bees especially mining bees, hence they are commonly known as cuckoo bees, there are many hundreds of different species.
More familiar to most people is the Painted Lady migrant butterfly (below), there were 3 today, also 2 Red Admorals and 12 Green-veined Whites.
Both male and a female examples of Azure Damselfly were on display.
Moths recorded included 8 Brown Silver-line, 2 Silver Y, Vine's Rustic, Treble Lines, Common Carpet and Common Swift (below).
Weather: ESE force 2 mist, very mild for early morning. NW force 3 in the afternoon
A beautiful morning with little breeze.
Just at dawn a Short-eared Owl flew south down the island and seem to be heading to land on Middle but a search proved fruitless and it was not seen again. The first round of the traps was also unrewarded but things seemed hopeful as 2 Sedge Warblers and later Willow Warbler were present, and Yellow Wagtail, Redpoll, Pied Wagtail and Siskin went overhead. One of the Sedge Warblers was caught and ringed.
A Puffin, quite rare at Hilbre although not the first this year, was seen flying west from a telescope in the obs garden. Six Jackdaws flew west high over the obs. A Collared Dove turned up and took to singing from the MOTUS aerial and was later joined by 2 local Swallows.
At one stage a Meadow Pipit mobbed the Dove after taking it for a Cuckoo. A male House Sparrow called around the island and being a scarce visitor pleased the members present. It eventually ended up in the obs garden mist net.
Six Goldfinches and a Siskin were here and a Lesser Redpoll was caught and ringed, while another in the mist net later turned out to be already ringed elsewhere (a control), watch this space for further details.
Six Eiders were off the west side early on and on the sea were 35 Gannets, 12 Guillemots, 25 Sandwich Terns, 4 Common Terns and a summer plumaged Great Crested Grebe. Nine Little Egrets, a Grey Heron and 6 Ringed Plovers fed around the shore but few other waders at this state of tide but a Grey Plover was at Little Eye on the early morning ebb.
A couple of Red Admirals and a Painted Lady were the main butterflies with Green-veined Whites the supporting cast. In the moth trap this morning were 8 Brown Silver-lines (there were also many dozens of these flying in the grassy places in the daylight), a Cockchafer Beetle, while other moths attracted were 3 Silver Y, 2 Marbled Coronet, a Red-green Carpet, a Common Carpet, a Purple Bar and a Netted Pug.
A wonderful day on the island, especially with the Thrift now in full bloom.
Ringed: 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 House Sparrow, 1 Lesser Redpoll ( plus a control), 1 Goldcrest
Photos: CJ, SRW
Weather: E force 3/4
Two of the most sought after passerines in spring were ringed this morning, first of all a Spotted Flycatcher.
Later a Garden Warbler was ringed, it was our first sighting this year.
Three Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff were also in the paddocks and passers by included a Yellow Wagtail, a White Wagtail, about 10 Swallows, 6 House Martins and a Swift. Single Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll represented the migrant finches. A male Greenland Wheatear on the island was also the only one of it's species. Ten Shelduck, a Common Scoter and 13 Eiders were logged,
..... while out on the sea were a Red-throated Diver, 14 Sandwich Terns and 24 Gannets. The pick of the waders was again the Whimbrel with 11 birds. A Peregrine paid the island a visit.
Butterflies were out and about again, 3 Red Admirals, 12 Green-veined Whites, a large White and a Small White.
Ringed: 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler.
Photos SRW
Weather: ESE force 4 rain, SE 5 by late afternoon.
A late start following the overnight rain which continued into the morning but then brightened up in the early afternoon.
It seemed quiet at first as was expected with the overnight rain but a search of the island revealed the presence of a Whinchat.
It was not alone as a Sedge Warbler had clearly arrived in the upper paddock and in addition a Grasshopper Warbler's song was heard near to the canoe club. This was very encouraging as no Willow Warblers nor Chiffchaffs were present. Three Greenland Wheatears were here again, while 2 White Wagtails and about 30 Swallows passed through, also 6 House Martins, but no finches (apart from Linnets). A band of rain which came across Wirral but missed Hilbre itself brought an impressive 31 Swifts across the island
Just a single male Eider this morning, but 19 Shelduck including a flock of 12 were more than expected.
Only 7 Whimbrel were counted with no other exceptional numbers of waders noted today. The Kestrel sighting was the first for quite a while. Thirty two Gannets and 4 Sandwich Terns were on the list. At least one pair of Blackbirds are very close to fledging.
Ringing: 1 Whinchat.
Photos SRW
Weather: ESE force 3/4
A single Willow Warbler made it here today but no sign of any Whitethroats etc, although 2 male Greenland Wheatears were present.
Two House Martins and the second Swift of the year passed through and a Goldfinch and a Woodpigeon showed on the island. Other species noted were 6 Eiders, 5 Little Egrets, 7 Shelduck, 2 Common Scoter, 20 Sandwich Terns and 3 Whimbrel and a Sanderling among the waders. Bird of the day arrived at noon when a Short-eared owl flew east from Hilbre towards the north shore and then went low over the beach to Wirral.
Three frogs were seen scurrying through the grass.
Green-veined white butterflies are still on the wing, 3 today.
Ringed: 1 Linnet.
Photos SRW
