10th August 2010

A higher tide today than for some time with wading birds having to vacate the shore for the top of the island (left, Dunlin with a Sanderling). The wind was in the south west first thing but soon veered west and then north west and was quite strong in the early afternoon.

Only a trickle of migrants were found as expected in these conditions including 2 Whitethroats (one was from yesterday), 4 Willow Warblers, a single Wheatear, an out of season Song Thrush, and a slow passage of 38 Swallows.

Good shorebirds were a Golden Plover flying over the west side shore, 2 Common Sandpipers that appeared briefly at the north end, 14 Bar-tailed Godwits including one in summer plumage, 500 Dunlin, 150 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling and 2 Grey Plover..

Three Collared Doves were between Red Rocks and the island and also there was the Peregrine sitting on its usual yellow barrel.

The Sandwich Terns are now at about 850 birds, Common Terns are considerably scarcer, while the Black Tern was seen only at 07.15hrs flying strongly away to the south west, it remains to be seen whether it will make any more appearances at Hilbre. Many Gannets were again on the sea but little else although there were 10 Red-breasted Mergansers moving together towards the north shore, and 6 Great Crested Grebes off the west side in flight.

Ringed:- 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Linnet, 1 Meadow Pipit.

(DB,CJ,CJW et al) [378] photo CJ

9th August 2010

A slow start but the southerly winds with showers brought a good variety of birds to the island today.


A touch of winter came to the summer when a Purple Sandpiper appeared on the north end rocks early in the morning (left), but was not seen after 09.00hrs. This is not without precedence as a single bird sometimes visits mid-summer for a short period, probably to rest on its journey elsewhere (certainly it seemed very keen to feed up), the local wintering flock normally build up from October.

No Manx Shearwaters today but Gannets were fishing as expected, although sea birds were generally scarce with just a single dark phase Arctic Skua (left) close to the north end and the Black Tern with other terns as we have now come to expect.
At high tide 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins travelled south west down the Dee in two groups of 2 and were well seen breaking the surface from the north end.
Shorebirds included 7 Grey Herons, 12 Whimbrel, and a good find was 2 Golden Plover roosting the tide on the north end of Middle Eye. Also near Middle 5 Wigeon were noted.

A Hobby was glimpsed as a 'mystery' raptor until it showed itself properly by crossing the island from west to east and flushing the waders from Middle Eye.







Swallows totalled 38 but only went through for a very short period until more this evening; the 3 Wheatears present were all on Middle, and the warblers seemed to arrive in response to rain showers, first 2 Willow Warblers and later a Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat.
Ringed:- 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Wrens, 1 Sedge Warbler (above left), 1 Whitethroat (above right, you can see who has been doing all the physical work around the obs today !), 1 Linnet, 1 Meadow Pipit
(DB,CJ,KMc,CJW et al) [372] photos CJ

8th August 2010

A Black-necked Grebe was seen at the north end by a visiting birder early this morning, unfortunately it did not hang around and was last seen flying off towards the Burbo windfarm. This is a rare bird at Hilbre, but the sighting coincides with the post breeding dispersal of juveniles of this species.
More dependable was the by now familiar Black Tern which again made several appearances feeding with other terns including Common Tern (right) at the north end.
Two separate Tree Pipits called overhead this morning, a good early autumn record for this species that occurs more often in spring. Three Wheatears and 3 Willow Warblers were also a pleasant surprise in the north westerly wind today.
A second summer Mediterranean Gull was with many Black-headed Gulls on the shore to the south east of Little Eye on the ebb tide.
About 40 Gannets were on the sea, but one adult for some reason kept making very low passes over the island, on one occasion too close to fit in the photo (right)!
Other notable sightings were 12 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Little Egrets and close views of Turnstone, Dunlin (above), and Ringed Plover at high tide.
Ringed;- 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Linnet.
(CJ,CJW et al,PSW,SRW) [364] photo CJ (Gannet), PSW

7th August 2010

The Black Tern (above, and below with other terns) was still entertaining observers this morning and at times giving quite close views whilst feeding with Common, Sandwich, and Little Terns. There were 70 Gannets but just 6 Manx Shearwaters and a single Arctic Skua noted during the morning tide.

The usual waders were present;-(Whimbrel, Dunlin (1200), Ringed Plover (right), and Redshank) also 4 Little Egrets were on the shore.

Sixteen Swallows passed throught during the day.

No other migrants on the island this morning but several of the breeding birds were ringed and seen to be in full moult:- left to right, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Dunnock.

Ringed :- 4 Linnets, 4 Meadow Pipits, 1 Robin

(JE,MJG,NDW, CJW et al) [360] photos CJW, JE (birds in hand).

6th August 2010

To the relief of the members who missed it yesterday the Black Tern was found again feeding off the north end at the early morning high tide today. It stayed out of camera range for about an hour and then came closer as it drifted down the east side and off towards the West Kirby shore. In the late afternoon the bird was found back at the north end.

Also seen during the sea-watching were 40+ Gannets (above left), 10+ Manx Shearwaters, 3 Little Terns, a Razorbill and most unexpected of all, a Greenshank that seemed to fly from the wind farm area and down the Dee.

Eight Teal were noted first thing flying down the east side, an early autumn date for this species, more expected were the 10 Whimbrel present and the first colour ringed returning Turnstone of the autumn sitting on the stones at the north end (above right).

The south easterly as predicted did bring some migrants and about 12 Willow Warblers (above) landed although they were difficult to trap with the strong wind. Two Wheatears were grounded and a surprise was a Blackbird seen flitting down the island.

On leaving the island, obsevers saw a Peregrine fly up from the ground by the east side of Middle and perch on the cliff (right).

Ringed :- 5 Willow Warblers, 2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Linnet, 1 Wren.

(DB,CJ,KMc,CJW et al,PSW) [351] photos CJ, PSW (Black Tern)

5th August 2010

A Black Tern arrived down the east side at 10.30hrs and stayed to feed for about an hour in the east gutter just off Niffy bay. Talk this morning was of how scarce they had been everywhere this year and as so often happens birds appear as if on cue, unfortunately members with cameras had just left the island as everything was so quiet today.

The north westerly wind was stronger than yesterday but stangely sea birds were much less numerous, only 10 Manx Shearwaters first thing, 25 Gannets and 3 distant Arctic Skuas. No sign of yesterdays hippolais and the only land bird of note was a single Wheatear down the sheltered east side of the island (right).

(DB,CJ,KMc,CJW,+SH) photo CJ

4th August 2010

A probable hippolais warbler was seen briefly this morning at 09.30hrs near to the ' heli ' trap. The bird was of a substantial size, green/yellow and with a largish bill, and was possibly a Melodious or Icterine Warbler but unfortunately the bird immediately disappeared and could not be relocated. The news naturally sparked a mini twitch of members from the mainland, but despite extensive searching of the island for the next few hours there was no further sign through the day.
In between hippolais hunting sea birds were a distraction with a passage of 112 Manx Shearwaters and 15 Gannets counted and 5 Arctic Skuas chasing the terns including one over the sandbanks (above) putting up the 500+ Sandwich Terns there (right).
No Swallows at all today and just a single Swift in the morning to vary the species list. Three Willow Warblers present but none were ringed in the strong north west wind.
Ringed:- 1 Linnet.
(BSB,DB,AMC,FD,CJ,KMc,CJW,NDW) [342] photos CJ

3rd August 2010

The wind veered north westerly during the morning and gave views between squalls of good numbers of interesting sea birds:- 125 Gannets, 132 Manx Shearwaters, and 4 Arctic Skuas were the pick of the day, although the shore also did well with 8 Little Egrets, 15 Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper.
Three Common Snipe flew down the east side but could not be found on the shore, unlike the Ringed Plovers that gathered into a group of 120 and the Dunlin counted at 170 birds.
Two Willow Warblers were on the island and 19 Swallows travelled through during the day.
The rabbit that was seen recently was still about, this time it was seen to run up the ramp of the Newton catching box!
Ringed:- 1 Willow Warbler
(DB,CJW) [341]