14th July 2017

Weather: N/NW force 3
Records on a quiet day included a Gannet, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 17 Common Scoter, 200 Sandwich and 20 Common Tern, also 2 Little Tern and an adult Kittiwake. A Peregrine was noted. Small White butterflies are in the majority at the moment with 12 seen today.

12th July 2017

Weather: S 0/1  evening sun

A brief visit in the evening  recorded 60 Sandwich Terns, 12 Common Terns and 12 Curlew.
It was clear enough for the Lake District mountains (over 60 miles distant as the crow flies) to be seen beyond the wind turbines.

photos AEH

10th July 2017

Weather: NW 3 vis 10 mls rain showers

Another quiet day but a juvenile Peregrine flew past observers on the East side of middle and landed briefly before flying towards Red Rocks.

A Willow Warbler was in the obs garden for a short while but was the only migrant passerine seen today. At least wader numbers are slowly increasing with 22 Redshank, a Grey Plover, 2 Whimbrel and 5 Curlews

   The Oystercatcher roost on Middle numbered 200 with an additional 100 on Little Eye.

A Male Common Scoter spent the tide just off the North end of Middle and 3 Gannet were seen, 2 (an adult and a juvenile) past close in down the West side of Hilbre.

Photos AS

9th July 2017

Weather: S force 1, then W 1/2 vis 20 miles

 A breeze from the south first thing brought a surprise Willow Warbler to be noted passing Little Eye, and then mid-morning a first year Blackcap was caught for ringing, a species that has been particually scarce this year.
A large flock of Knot flew north flew out of the estuary at a time when most would be expected to be still at the breeding grounds.

Waders are slowly increasing with 6 Whimbrel, 20 Curlew and 14 Redshank noted this morning, others logged today included 6 Pied Wagtails, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Herons.

Small White butterflies were numerous in the paddocks this morning.

 The clump of Honeysuckle is now in flower

Ringed: 1 Blackcap, 1 Linnet, 1 Wren   [ 401-32 ]








Photos AEH, except Blackcap & Honeysuckle (CJ)

8th July 2017

Weather: NW force 1/2 Sunny and warm

A short pre-tide visit on a lovely morning failed to produce any unusual bird sightings.
The breeding birds however like this Meadow Pipit seem to be having a good season

Sandwich terns will soon form a post breeding roost east of the island.

Black-headed Gulls are now increasing, this apparently newly fledged bird was between the marine lake and Little Eye.

   Compass Jellyfish, chrysaora hysoscella, can give a moderate sting to the unwary

 An unusual sight this morning was a male butterfly flying around with a female attached in the (reverse) mating position, and once when it landed another briefly came to join the two.

 photos  CJ

7th July 2017

Weather: W force 3 vis 25 mls cloudy

An adult Mediterranean Gull was on the beach between the marine lake and Little Eye, 3 Gannet were in the Swash as the tide came in, singles of both Little Egret and Grey Heron were in the gutter below the obs.

Many juvenile birds were in evidence today with 2 young Sandwich Terns noted amongst the small roost opposite the obs, a juv Wren in the obs garden, at least 4 young Meadow Pipits, a single juv Pied Wagtail and a family party of Linnets with the young practicing their flying skills.

Pied Wagtail

At about 1330 the first Chiffchaff of Autumn came down in the obs garden, soon to be followed by a female Blackcap and a Whitethroat making a trio of autumn firsts, a strange mini fall !

A fox was seen in the top paddock and it has been reported that there are cubs on the island.

photos  AS

6th July 2017

Weather:  SE 3, 7/8 cloud and mist reducing to 1/8 and sunshine and hear haze by mid morning

Black-headed Gulls and Sandwich and Common Terns were much in evidence on the edge of the rising tide this morning.

Swifts blasted over the island early on with 15 noted along with 5 Sand Martins and 12 Swallows.

The Rock Sea-lavender (Limonium britannicum ssp celticum) has replaced the Thrift as the dominant colour on the west side of the island. 

Although some pink is still showing as also flowering at the moment is Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea).

Photos by SRW [398-32]

5th July 2017

Weather: West 3 vis 3 mls with mist around the estuary early on.

A good start to the day was a Redshank on the rocks to the west of the lagoon as the tide rose.

A flock of 12 Shelduck flew west over the island and a single was on the water off the north end.

Two Grey Plover were present and 58 Curlew were around the islands. After the tide 150 Sandwich and 5 Common Terns roosted on the East Hoyle.

The Autumn migration truly started today with the first Willow Warbler spending the morning feeding outside the old obs garden (photos by AS).