8th May 2013

A strong south easterly this morning with showery rain starting just before dawn gave some hope that migrants may have been grounded. In reality there was a steady trickle of 25 Willow Warblers up to mid-day (right) but no sign of a any of the larger and scarcer warblers expected at this time in May. Visible migration made it very worthwhile to listen and look overhead, there were about 500 Swallows arriving from the north west, battling against the wind,with them were 30 House Martins, 3 Swifts together and a single Sand Martin, also small parties of Redpolls and a single Siskin. Scarcer species included a Tree Pipit, 2 White Wagtails and 3 Yellow Wagtails, one of which dropped briefly to the ground (below). A visiting Woodpigeon flew about on its own for a short while. A Common Sandpiper was found late morning on the east side of the island while Whimbrel only seemed to be in single figures today and wader numbers generally appeared to be lower than earlier in the week. Sea birds that were seen despite the wind being unsuitable to bring them close included: 35 Gannets, 6 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers and a Manx Shearwater off the west side.

Ringed:- 15 Willow Warblers, 2 Linnets.     [ 430-27 ]

(CJ,DCT,PT,NDW,CJW+PLN, et al)        photo  CJ 

7th May 2013

Weather SSE 1, cloud 3/8, vis 25 miles

Garden Warbler

 Another beautiful day with some typical May birds. A Garden Warbler found itself in the old obs mist net, the first of its kind seen at Hilbre this spring, and one we can miss out on altogether if we are unlucky. Another Whinchat, not the bird of yesterday arrived at the south end mid-morning but again proved elusive for the ringers, as did the half dozen or so Wheatears on the island today. A Cuckoo was seen flying off from the west side and being mobbed by Swallows, an hour later it again showed itself as it headed purposely towards Red Rocks. Cuckoo is less than an annual occurrence at Hilbre these days. A drake Eider dropped in the sea close by the rocks to the west of the obs, and the Common Scoter that has been around for a while now immediately flew in to join it almost as though he recognised it as a suitable companion.  

Siskin



About a dozen Willow Warblers were present , also a Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler that strangely fed on the seaweed at the north end for more than an hour, but did not appear later in the apparently more suitable habitat. Birds passing through today included a Tree Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 White Wagtails, several Lesser Redpolls and Goldfinches, 50 Swallows and a Sand Martin. A surprise at noon was the capture of a Siskin in the Newton heligoland trap, while by no means a rare bird as a migrant it was the first of its kind ringed at Hilbre this year. Whimbrel were in very good numbers, up to 22 today, and the large flocks of Dunlin flying around as the tide pushes in and out were in the order of between 2 and 3 thousand. Seventy Sandwich and 7 Common Terns were logged.



Whinchat



Eider with Common Scoter



Ringed:- 9 Willow Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Siskin, 1 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Meadow Pipit.           [ 413-27 ]

(DB,CJ,DCT,PT,PSW,et al)       photos CJ

 

6th May 2013

Weather: SE 1/2, cloud 5/8, vis 25 miles



Whinchat

For once a good weather bank holiday with favourable winds for migrant arrivals at Hilbre. About a dozen Wheatears were passing through early on and a few more landed later together with the first Whinchat for Hilbre this spring. There was not a massive amount of migrants but a slow quality trickle in during the morning of 8 Willow Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers, a Tree Pipit, 3 White Wagtails and a Grasshopper Warbler. Lesser Redpolls and Goldfinches also came through but not in huge numbers, Swallows numbered about 275 (mainly during the afternoon), five House Martins moved through mid-afternoon and a group of three Swifts arrived from the west during the morning and continued towards Wirral.

Bonxie





Some of the best records of today surprisingly came from the sea and shore, not least of which was a Harbour Porpoise that headed steadfastly down the Dee in full view of the members. A sudden commotion amongst the gulls at the north end heralded the arrival of a Bonxie (presumably the same bird as yesterday) that continued south west down the west side for all to see from the Obs garden. Previously 12 Manx Shearwaters were off to the north west and Sandwich Terns and Gannets seemed to be diving everywhere. Other seabirds today included 8 Guillemots, 45 Common Scoter (including the drake that is now semi-resident).

  

Swift



On the shore a Common Sandpiper stayed for quite a while, likewise the 12 Whimbrel and the 2,000 or so Dunlin which have become a feature recently. The pair of Canada geese of the last few days also showed again and 2 Little Egrets fed around the Middle Eye area.

Ringed: 5 Willow Warblers, 3 Greenland Wheatears, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch,1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Wren.    [ 397-25 ]

(DCT,PT,NDW,CJ,CJW,RTW,SRW,TGW,CLW,CJW,GIW,FPW,+SRR)  photos CJ (Bonxies and Swift) and SRW (Whinchat and Common Sandpipers)



Common Sandpiper

Bonxie over the Dee

5th May 2013

Weather:-  SW 5, cloud 7/8, vis 20 miles

A small movement of Lesser Redpolls and Goldfinches this morning, but the only grounded warbler migrants were 4 Willow Warblers. Swallows passed in small numbers, also 5 House Martins, 2 Sand Martins and a single Swift flying west off the north end. The big surprise of the day were 6 Brent Geese off Little Eye at high tide as none had been seen since 3 on 23rd April. They are probably moving through after wintering elsewhere. With the wind stronger than expected some attention was given to the sea especially after 3 Fulmars (above) made a close approach to the north end early in the morning. A Bonxie showed for the first time this year just before noon but only a single Manx Shearwater was seen despite south westerly usually being a favourable wind direction to see them at Hilbre, although there were plenty of Sandwich and a few Common Terns and a single adult Kittiwake. Just before mid-day a Curlew Sandpiper was recognised amongst the flocks of Dunlin around the island. A lone Canada Goose and a Little Egret visited this morning. 

Ringed :- 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Linnets, 2 Lesser Redpolls.      [ 383-25 ]

(ME+HW,CJ,DCT,PT,NDW,PSW,SRW)      photo CJ

4th May 2013

Weather;- W 3/4, cloud 6/8, vis 32 miles
Very quiet on the island, a single Willow Warbler was ringed but very few migrants except for a dozen or so Swallows. Two Little Egrets were about the shore with 9 Whimbrel. On the sea were 55 Gannets, 120 Sandwich and 15 Common Terns.
Ringed :- 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Linnet       [375-25 ]

3rd May 2013

Weather: SW 4, cloud 6/8, vis 20 miles

Quiet morning in brisk south westerly. Some visible migration with cloud cover including Goldfinches and Redpolls but just a single Goldfinch caught early on.

Up to 14 Whimbrel and a single Common Sandpiper noted and 5 Little Egrets on the ebbing tide were "new in".

Two Greenland Wheatears were trapped and ringed and 10 Lesser Redpolls including another control were caught together in the Newton trap mid morning.

On the sea the first Arctic Skua of the year was seen along with good numbers of terns including 125 Sandwich, 35 Common, 6 Little and a single Arctic.

Ringed: 9 L Redpoll, Goldfinch, 2 Wren, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, 2 G Wheatear

[DCT, PT, NDW et al (from over), DB, JE & CJ]

2nd May 2013

A most beautiful summer like day was slightly tinged with disappointment at the lack of migrants first thing this morning until spirits were raised greatly when an Osprey appeared at about 9:35hrs being mobbed over the north shore. At one point it dived and caught a fish, after which it sat for a while on the East Hoyle sandbank off Hoylake to eat its prey before disappearing off to the north; all this taking place too distantly for photographs. This was the first Osprey seen from Hilbre this spring (the previous record was seen over the recording area from the mainland). Two Sand Martins passed during the day with a small number of Swallows, while 3 White Wagtails flew over, also two unseasonable Starlings. Two female Wheatears were ringed, probably the only ones showing today, but there were no warblers at all, nor migrant finches apart from a single Lesser Redpoll that appeared in the Obs garden mist net. Early on 2 Canada Geese flew west and a Little Egret was between the islands (they have been scarce lately). Over two thousand Dunlin fed in the east gutter on the ebbing tide, creating quite a noise as they communicated amongst themselves and 9 Whimbrel called from the shore. Thirty Gannets fed out to sea and about 90 Sandwich Terns were also feeding but no Common or Little Terns could be found despite good viewing conditions.
Ringed: 2 Wheatears, 2 Linnets, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Meadow Pipit.   [ 357-25 ]
(AAB,DB,CJ,AS,DCT,PT,AW,NDW,CJW,et al)

1st May 2013

Lesser Redpoll, control

The first day of what is normally one of the best months of the year started hopefully with some lighter winds with a southerly element, although a little cloud and mist would not have gone amiss. The paddocks were generally quiet with a few Goldfinches and the odd Willow Warbler around at dawn, but the first round of the trapping area was a surprise, the only bird caught was a male Sparrowhawk which turned out to be the very bird controlled here on 13th April, which incidentally we now know was originally ringed by one of our members in his West Kirby garden! The Sparrowhawk shared ringing result of the day with a Lesser Redpoll caught that had also been ringed elsewhere, the place yet unknown. Migration this morning continued to be very slow, although a Whitethroat dropped in to the island later in the day; heard or seen were single Wood Pigeon, Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, House Sparrow and 3 Starlings plus a single female Greenland Wheatear and 5 Swallows. A fine drake Eider appeared in the afternoon. Five hundred Dunlin continue about the shore with 3 Whimbrel today, sea birds included 28 Common Scoter several Sandwich Terns and a Gannet.

Ringed :- 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Linnets, 1 Wheatear, 1 Meadow Pipit.   [ 351-25 ]

(DB,CJ,DCT,PT,CJW,NDW,PSW, et al +SRR)    Photo CJ