10th February 2018

Weather:  SSE  3-4 increasing to 4-5 visibility 4mls with rain

It was a very dreich start to the day but worth getting wet for when yet another, or one of the same, Jack Snipe was flushed from bracken in the same place as Thursday!

A brief sea watch recorded a Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Red-throated Diver, a Kittiwake, 5 Great Crested Grebe and 106 Common Scoter.  A juvenile Shag was on the North End and 350 Cormorant left the estuary at first light.

Pale-bellied Brent Geese in the lagoon area as the tide ebbed numbered 252, the six Eider were in the Gutter, as were a male and two female Wigeon.

Six Purple Sandpiper were noted and 13 Bar-tailed Godwit were on the north shore, small numbers of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover were around the island.

A star appearance by the weasel at its usual spot in the woodpile was a highlight for some of the visitors to the Obs.

Thanks to Scott Reid and his group for their records.  Photos by AS

9th February 2018

Weather:  NW 4-5 (increasing to 6-7), 5/8 cloud, moderate vis

A wet start to the day resulted in a late arrival of observers to the islands and unsurprisingly the weather conditions were not conducive for observing.

However, small numbers of Dunlin and Ringed Plover were noted sheltering to the east of the reef between Little and Middle on the way over and the six Eider were in the mouth of the gutter.

The pale-bellied Brent Geese were more difficult to count than recently, like everything else (including observers) hunkering down out of the biting wind; this Curlew using the rock in the gutter to find some shelter.

8th February 2018

Weather: South 2-3, 7/8 cloud, very good visibility

A cooler and more overcast morning than yesterday produced a stunning dawn and then later saw the Pale-belled Brent Geese flock feeding on the Whaleback and down the west side rocks of the island and once again included four colour-ringed birds; 251 birds were counted and were joined by six Eider.

A drake Red-breasted Merganser flew west past the North End and small numbers of Common Scoters were noted again.

Waders remained in evidence with 3 Purple Sandpiper and small groups of Knot (including the pale bird again at the North End see below centre with 'ordinary Knot to the left and right of the Brent), Grey Plover, Dunlin and 200 Sanderling noted.

Highlight of the day were two Jack Snipe flushed from the South End bracken during a traditional 'south end drive' but only when one member went 'off track' to check out a dead Cormorant.  Jack Snipe is a very scarce visitor the islands although it winters regularly at nearby West Kirby salt marsh.

On the way off the island observers were treated to great views of a Peregrine sat on Little Eye which seemed completely uninterested in them.  Photos AS (dawn) and SRW (remainder)

7th February 2018

Weather: North 2 (dropping), 5/8 cloud, good vis

A lovely day on the islands today the highlight of which were again the Pale-bellied Brent Geese with 268 counted including four colour ringed birds - two ringed in Iceland, one in Ireland and our old favourite HDRB ringed in Canada.

The six Eiders remained around the North End as did small numbers of waders including five Purple Sandpipers, 35 Knot (including a pale bird), 120 Turnstone and 73 Redshank and small numbers of Grey Plover including this bird feeding around a small pool off the slipway.

The sea-watch was fairly quiet with 4 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great Crested Grebes and 120 relatively close Common Scoter (and c3,000 very distant birds); however the highlight was a Harbour Porpoise which circled around in the almost flat calm water between the Whaleback and the tip of the West Hoyle sandbank.  Photos SRW

6th February 2018

Weather: WSW force 2,  light snow all morning, cold

Relatively calm but cold this morning with snow falling to enhance the experience for the observers, and the birds including the Eiders (still 6).

A complete count of the Brent was possible as the entire flock (261) floated slowly passed the island early on. Thirty eight Bar-tailed Godwits fed on the north shore along with about 30 Sanderling, 10 Knot, and 5 Grey Plover (with 42 more south of little Eye) , but just a single Purple Sandpiper was found at the low tide.
Around 100 Common Scoter were on the sea off to the north but little else.
Small residents included single Blackbird and Song Thrush, 2 Robins, a Rock Pipit and 3 Meadow Pipits on Middle.
photo CJ & AEH

5th February 2018

A very brief visit in poor weather saw the six Eiders present and small numbers of waders.

4th February 2018

Weather: NE  0/1 vis 35mls 1 degree above freezing.

A brief early visit saw 519 Pink Footed Geese leaving the estuary on the Welsh side in 4 groups, all headed straight out to sea. 

A lovely calm day made the Brent Geese easy to count at 252 and a male Pintail joined a few briefly at the North End.

Also on the sea were 182 Common Scoter, the 6 Eider and a male Red Breasted Merganser close in on the East side.

Over 3,000 Dunlin and 175 Grey Plover were spread over the East Hoyle as the tide started to make.

Passerines present on the island were 8 Wren, a male Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Robin, 2 Meadow pipit and a Rock Pipit.

photos AS

2nd February 2018

Weather: NNW  2/3  vis 15 mls increasing later as the clouds cleared.
There were 11,500 Oystercatcher in the high tide roost on Middle, 44 Ringed Plover on the West side of Hilbre and 7 Purple Sandpiper on the North End (per Matt Thomas).

Knot in the recording area included a flock of 4,000, then 700 in smaller flocks. Waders feeding on the East Hoyle and in the Gutter were 58 Curlew, 98 Turnstone, 38 Redshank, 80 Dunlin and 84 Sanderling.

On the sea were 120 Common Scoter, a single Great Crested Grebe and 6 Eider, Brent Geese Numbered 167.

There were over 15,000 Gulls on the East Hoyle and to the South of Middle after the tide, mostly Herring but also Common and Black Headed, Probably feeding on the latest Razorshell wreck.

A Peregrine was seen briefly and a Skylark flew over the observatory, also a Woodpigeon landed briefly in the pittosporum.

photos AS