19th May 2013

Weather: No wind at 4am, SE by 6am, backing N later. 7/8 cloud some mist, vis 8mls

Three late Goldcrests were on the island today with a couple caught and ringed, a couple of Willow Warblers were also caught and 5 Greenland Wheatears were noted with one also caught.  Another Whinchat was trapped and ringed today; this one caught in a potter on Wheatear wall (see below).

Nine Little Egrets were noted around the islands, a good count for Hilbre. Less expected were the ten Mute Swans that flew north passing Red Rocks late morning. Two adult Kittiwakes sat on the North End and two drake Eiders drifted on the tide before flying off towards the West Hoyle.

Common Pipistrelle Bats were recorded overnight and a Garden Tiger Moth caterpillar was found in the Obs garden (see below).

A return visit as the tide flooded in the evening produced even more Dunlin (4,500) and Ringed Plover (700) and a partial summer plumaged Curlew Sandpiper was found in amongst the Dunlin on the ridge south of Middle.

(DB&ESCA (from over), CJW, SRW & TGW) Photos SRW  [464-28]

18th May 2013

Weather: NW 5 backing WNW 6-7 later, 8/8 cloud and drizzle first thing - cold!

The weather wasn't productive for grounded migrants today but singe Sedge and Willow Warbler were present. The sea was more productive with 180 Gannet, 250 Sandwich and 51 Common Terns counted and a single Razorbill was noted. Taking advantage of the inhospitable weather some maintenance jobs were completed in the Obs.

(CJW (from over), BT, then DB&ESCA pm)

17th May 2013

Weather: E 2, 8/8 cloud, mist

The first round of the traps didn't reveal the hoped for Spotted Flycatcher in the right conditions but a less expected, and less frequently caught, Whinchat was captured in the Newton (wall trap) (see below).

Passage waders remain much in evidence with 11 Whimbrel, 200 Ringed Plover, 3,500 Dunlin and a summer plumaged Grey Plover.

The Rabbit has been seen fairly frequently recently - with the Stoat long since disappeared it has the run of the island again, particularly early mornings.

Three drake Goosanders were a fine sight off the North End mid morning and 2 Wigeon were also a late spring record.

130 Swallows, 60 House Martins and 12 Swifts passed through and Sedge Warblers drifted in later in the morning with two trapped (see below).

(DB, AEH & SRW (briefly)) Photos AEH (Sedge Warbler) & SRW (others) [454-28]

16th May 2013

Weather: SSW 2, rain overnight but only very slight during the morning, wind backing SE by 8am

Large numbers of Dunlin (3500) and Ringed Plover (550) were counted on the gutter edge early morning.  At least 7 Whimbrel were noted mainly down the West Side of Hilbre and Middle. Some summer plumages Knot appeared on the ridge on the way off (see bottom of post).

A few Willow Warblers and a single Chiffchaff were caught and two Whitethroats were grounded including one caught and ringed.

A few Swallows and House Martins as well as a Swift passed over and a White Wagtail was around the island pond. A single redpoll spp passed over and a Goldfinch was caught in the old obs garden.

A single drake Eider flew down the West side.

Such a late Spring this year has meant that the south end of the island is only just turning blue with bluebells.

A Ruby Tiger was found in the Newton heligoland trap and two Common Seals were hauled out near the main Grey Seal haul out.

At 950hrs huge numbers of gulls went up off the East Hoyle sandbank (off Hoylake/Meols) but despite frantic searches the suspected large raptor could not be found. However, at about 1030hrs the gulls off the West Hoyle decided to taunt observers on the island again but this time the suspect was found - an Osprey slowly drifted westwards towards the Point of Ayr (Wales), it circled higher and higher and disappeared drifting towards the North Wales coast. The third Osprey of the Spring for the island. 

(DB, JE + 1, et al) [449-27] Photos JE & SRW

14th May 2013

Weather: SW 2-3 rain @ 10.00hrs . Later NW 4 7/8. 

Despite the wind dropping 100+ Gannet were estimated but things picked up on the island with 7 Willow Warbler and single Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler noted.

A small number of Swallows (41) passed through along with 2 House Martin and a single White Wagtail.

A single Little Egret was noted and the Rabbit was seen again as was a garden tiger moth caterpillar.

(DB)  

13th May 2013

Weather: WSW 6-7.

A single dark phase Arctic Skua, 20 Manxies, 350 Gannets, 200 Kittiwakes and 10 Arctic Terns were the seawatching highlights over the high tide today with two more Arctic Skuas and 2 Bonxies being seen on the ebb and 2 Little Terns completing the set of all four regular tern species.

Five Whimbrel were seen around the islands and 30 Swallows passed over.

(DB, MGT + KD)

11th May 2013

Weather: W 3 (increasing 6-7 later) 7/8 cloud, intermittent rain and even hail

The wind had been southerly overnight no doubt bringing in the half a dozen Willow Warblers to the island but there were hardly any other migrants present. A new litter of Short-tailed Field Voles was discovered today.

The three Scaup were still present on the flooding tide (a drake and two ducks).

Members had to leave before the tide despite the increasing wind turning slightly north of west and large numbers of skuas, particularly Pomarine, reported elsewhere in the Irish Sea.  However, a brief visit on the ebb (4-5pm) produced over 500 Gannets, 12 Kittiwakes, 37 Manxies, 130 Sandwich and 75 Common Terns and a single Bonxie flew west (as well as a distant large skua spp).

(DCT, PT+VT, CJW, PSW, SRW & TGW) [440-27] (Photos by SRW)

9th May 2013

Although the forecast predicted due south and then south west for the wind it stayed all morning in the south east but increased to a strong force 6/7 later. The first round of the traps found 6 Willow Warblers in the area with 4 being trapped but this proved to be a false dawn as no other migrants were later found on the ground apart from a couple of Wheatears. With little to excite the members attention turned to the overnight moth trap which produced a first for Hilbre no less when a Streamer moth (right) was confirmed to be present. Later in the morning a male Reed Bunting was found, and amazingly the Sedge warbler seen feeding on the seaweed at the north end 2 days ago had not left but was still exhibiting the same behaviour off the slipway. Logged today were 3,000 Dunlin, 300 Ringed Plover and a Little Egret.
Ringed:- 4 Willow Warblers.           [ 434-27 ]

(DB,CJ,DCT,PT,AW,NDW,CJW,PSW,et al)