13th January 2022

 Weather:  W 1

 A very brief visit was made this morning on another glorious day. Pick of the sightings were 54 Bar-tailed Godwit and 26 Grey Plover and over 200 Common Scoter.

 

 Photos SRW

12th January 2022

 Weather:  SW force 2    sunny

A beautiful calm and sunny morning with the Brent all within sight of the island, enabling a complete count to establish a record high number for the obs. There were 483 pale-bellied and 4 dark-bellied birds.

 It is normal for the Brents to peak at this time in the winter, and colour ringed birds are always looked for so their movements can be recorded.

The low tide made waders hard to find, the best numbers being 220 Curlew, 27 Ringed Plover, 60 Turnstone, 50 Redshank, 4 Grey Plover and 2 Purple sandpipers. A good number of Herring Gulls were out to the west of the island and over 200 Black-headed Gulls were noted over the sea. A couple of dozen Common Scoter, 2 Shelduck and 2 Little Egrets were present, and a Peregrine showed towards Middle. Three of the 4 Rock Pipits were on Middle, there were 6 Robins and 3 each of Blackbird and Song Thrush.

 The marine lake looked splendid in the late afternoon.

 Photos CJW, SRW

11th January 2022

Weather: WSW force 2   sunny intervals.

A mid-morning visit managed to record several duck species for the day, including a male Goldeneye on the west hoyle, a species that now seems to be scarce on the marine lake in recent winters. More normal for Hilbre were 18 Pintail and a total of 21 Teal. 

Another duck now less often found on the marine lake in winter is the Red-breasted Merganser, but 2 males and a female were at Hilbre today, while Common Scoter (120 today) is recorded on the sea in most days. A high count of 429 pale-bellied Brent and 2 dark-bellied was made, and other good counts included 470 Curlew, 1,200 Knot, 2,000 Dunlin and 180 Sanderling. Others making the day list were the male Kestrel, a Great Crested Grebe, 2 Grey Herons and a Little Egret. The normal wintering species seen were 4 Robins, 3 Wrens, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes and a Rock Pipit.

 Photos SRW

9th January 2022

Weather:  SSW force 7  drizzle later

 A wind chill from a south westerly force 7 made it feel like below freezing at times but a glorious sunrise greeted Obs members this morning.

  Most waders sheltered in the east gutter including 8 Grey Plover feeding below the Obs.

At least 6000 Herring Gull gathered on the West Hoyle bank but no sign of any white winged Glaucous or Iceland gulls in a search amongst them. Eight hundred Cormorant had exited the estuary at dawn. Not many waders could be seen at low tide, although there were 120 Redshank and some Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Curlew.

The only passerines of note were the female Chaffinch that has been around a few days now, 2 Rock Pipit and a single Meadow Pipit.

The West Kirby RNLI practised manoeuvres off the main island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos AEH

5th January 2022

 Weather: NW force 5, rain and hail showers

The Chaffinch was still about the island together with the regular winter birds, 5 Wrens, 2 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 2 Robins and a Rock Pipit. Strong winds had caused a razor shell and starfish wreck which attracted a large numbers of Herring Gulls to feed, 3,400 were counted around the estuary. Just 8 Purple Sandpipers roosted at high tide by Emmet rock (north end) and another rested with the Turnstones at the south end.

Wader counts were similar to yesterday although 347 Grey Plover and 73 Sanderling were an improvement. The roosts at high tide also included 44 Ringed Plover and 450 Dunlin.

The Brent count was made west of Middle on the rising tida and included 1 dark-bellied among the 378 birds.

  Photos AS

4th January 2022

 Weather: N force 4, later 5

 Unusally for the time of year a Chaffinch was around the island calling all day.

The Ringed Plovers (52) roosted at the north end with the Purple Sandpipers (11) and a couple of hundred of the Dunlin (out of 650 today), as often happens on the very high tides. 

 While the 8,600 Oystercatchers were mostly on Middle.

Other waders today were 127 Grey Plover, 110 Turnstone and 89 Redshank.

 Small wintering birds included 5 Wrens.

There was a good count today of 347 pale and 2 dark-bellied Brent. The Shag was still about with 18 Scoters on the sea. The Kestrel was again about the island, as were 3 Grey Herons but no Egrets.  

 Photos AS

3rd January 2022

 Weather: SW force 5, increasing 7 by early afternoon.

It was a sunny but windy day on Hilbre today, but not cold. The wind was south west which made the tide higher than it was forecast. There were lots of birds on the middle, 8,000 Oystervatchers etc. but nowhere near enough room for them so there were birds on the south of the main island all the way up to wheatear hill.

Some of the Purple Sandpipers at the north end  roosted for part of the tide on the steps on the east side of the lifeboat station, which is unusual.

 There was also one roosting on Lion Rock with a Turnstone for most of the tide.

  The Shag that has been here lately was showing well while roosting at the north end.

 Present of course were the few wintering birds such as Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin and Wren, but all were elusive as they hunkered down in the strong wind.

Photos JE

1st January 2022

 Weather: SSW force 5/6, SW 6 in the afternoon

Two Ravens again arrived at the island to play on the thermals,while a Shag was on the west side. Grey plover (44), Dunlin (1610), Curlew (146) were all on the E hoyle after tide along with 68 Sanderling which were at the tide edge. There were 109 Redshank counted and a few Ringed Plover roosted at the north end.

 Oystercatchers, Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper (20) were to be seen feeding around the island.

Photos AS