9th November 2025

 Weather: SE force 4

As often happens first light is often the time to see Cormorants flying out of the estuary, 850 this morning. 

A Short Eared Owl was hunting over the south end soon after dawn but the highlight of the morning was a Lapland Bunting calling as it flew over the island towards Red Rocks. A Sparrowhawk then flew in and rested on the rocks.

 

 Later in the morning another spectacular bird arrived in the shape of a Hen Harrier which caused quite a stir among some other birds present, notably the Carrion Crows.

 

 

 

 

A pair of Ravens around the islands added to the threatening feel of the morning. 

 

  As with recent days many Starlings (231) continued to fly through the islands.

The smaller birds were not to be ignored with 3 Chiffchaffs and 3 Goldcrests down on the island.

A Dunnock is still here after several days on the island.

Also present are 2 Pied Wagtails, 3 Robins, 3 Blackbirds and 6 Wrens.

A few finches included 5 Goldfinch, 2 Sisikin and 5 Linnets.

Others not so far mentioned were 2 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons, a Great Crested Grebe, 3,000 Knot, 45 Curlew and 6 Purple Sandpipers.

Photos AEH 

8th November 2025

 Weather: WSW force 4,  W 2/3 after midday

Best of the day on a westerly wind was a Short-eared Owl that put up the roost of birds on Middle. Migration today included 2 Goldcrests, 6 Skylarks and a continuation of the flow of Starlings passed the island, 35 seen today. Finches also appeared in the form of 22 Linnets, 2 Chaffinches and 2 Goldfinches. Only 90 Brent were counted, a single female type Eider and 200 Scoter were logged with little else on the sea except for a Great Crested Grebe and a Razorbill. Waders included 400 Dunlin, 20 Ringed Plover, 90 Turnstone, 18 Sanderling, 55 Redshank and 4 Purple Sandpipers.

7th November 2025

 Weather: SE force 2/3,  later E 4

Today’s highlight was the young female Firecrest seen early morning in the obs garden and later caught in a mist net. 

 

 

 

A Goldcrest, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were amongst other birds ringed today. Several hundred Starlings moved south in good numbers throughout the day as did numbers of finches (9 Chaffinch, 11 Greenfinch, 12 Goldfinch, 10 Siskin, 36 Linnet) and 14 Skylarks.  A seawatch produced 400 Common Scoters whilst small numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Gosander flew through. 6 Red-throated Divers, 14 Great Crested Grebes and 3 each of Guillemot and Razorbill were on the sea. Large numbers of Oystercatchers and many Curlew roosted on middle island. Waders included 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Purple Sandpipers, the rarest (at Hilbre) were 2 Lapwings that made an appearance. Only a few Brent Geese were noted and a single Eider, while 22 Pinkfeet Geese did their usual fly through.

Ringed: 1 Firecrest, 1 Blackcap, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Blackbird. 

Photos CS, BT

6th November 2025

 Weather: SE force 4/5 mist around the estuary, easing force 3 later with drizzle

Todays south easterly with a bit of mist around the estuary produced more movement than of late, Thrushes noted were 6 Redwing, a Fieldfare, 4 Song Thrush and 15 Blackbirds on the island, a couple of which were chased by a Sparrowhawk.

Other migrants passing over or landing for a while included 15 Siskin, 22 Linnet, 70 Meadow Pipit, 9 Skylark, 3 Reed Bunting, 8 each of Chaffinch and Goldfinch, 4 Goldcrest and 600 Starling . The Starlings went through in groups of up to 50 throughout the morning and were probably under counted.

Only 30 Brent Geese were noted and a single Pink footed Goose which flew into the estuary early morning, also seen early were 4 Wigeon off the east side. Among the waders roosting were Ringed Plover, Knot, Dunlin, 6 Purple Sandpipers and 80 Turnstone.

 

Photos AS

5th November 2025

 Weather: ESE force 4/5

An early morning punctuated by heavy rain cleared to a fine but breezy day. The shift in wind direction certainly brought more visible migration with Skylark, Chaffinch and lots of small Starling flocks over. A Reed Bunting and 2 Redwing dropped into the SK paddock briefly whilst work was being carried out to replace some of the mesh on the SK heligoland trap. Star bird however was a Merlin that flew over heading west towards Point of Ayr causing panic among the roosting waders.

The high tide meant many of the usual roosting spots on Middle Eye were covered so a lot of waders were roosting on Hilbre - including 5 Purple Sandpipers in Niffy Bay. 

A 6th bird flew in off the sea and landed right in front of the observer on the old lifeboat slipway at high tide.

  

Oystercatchers were also affected by the large tide. 

 

Photos PSW 

1st November 2025

 Weather: WSW force 4, increasing 5 later

Another wet start with squally showers passing through. The journey across to Hilbre was punctuated with small flocks of Starlings passing overhead and heading west towards the Welsh coast. A total of 54 were noted with the largest flock being the 28 shown in the photo below.

 

The weather soon cleared and the rest of the day was sunny though breezy.  Purple Sandpipers seem to be late arriving this year so it was nice to see the 1st of the winter period fly in to feed at the north end as the tide dropped.

 

 

No grounded passerines today and overhead passage was much reduced. Just 4 Skylarks and 1 Goldfinch noted.

Photos PSW

30th October 2025

 Weather: SE force 3/4.

A cold and blustery morning on the island today. Grounded migrants were restricted to a single Goldcrest and Chiffchaff and what is probably the same Dunnock that has been seen recently. Overhead migration continues with the highlight being 3 Brambling heading southwest. Seventeen Skylarks and 20 Meadow Pipits were also observed flying over with the majority heading south or  south east. Brent geese numbers are building up and 353 were counted around the whaleback and the north end slipway feeding on the rocks. 

 

 

 

The regular female Kestrel was seen on the roof of one of the stone buildings as the sun rose and later hovering over the south end. 

Only 1 Rock Pipit was recorded today. Waders were widely dispersed as the tide was out but a flock of 18 Grey Plover were a nice record and 130 Redshanks shows a definite increase in numbers. 

 Photos PSW

22nd October 2025

 Weather: WSW  force 2  veering W 1  later

The weather improved gradually during the day after heavy rain earlier in the morning.  A few birds were grounded on the island with 6 Blackbirds along with 2 Dunnocks, several Robins and 6 Goldcrests. 

 A single ringed Chiffchaff was probably one that had been ringed on Hilbre recently as were the two ringed Robins seen. 

Overhead passage was slower than in recent days but there were 3 Siskins, 4 Goldfinches, a Pied Wagtail and 2 Skylarks, the latter dropping onto the island by the area of the pond, also a few Meadow Pipits came through. 

   

A Snipe dropped into the access track at the south end where it was flushed and flew to the pond.  Two Goldfinches arrived in to feed on the seed heads of Thrift before moving off as the tide ebbed. A real surprise was a male Stonechat that arrived at the north end over the high tide and then promptly disappeared. 

Wrens are ever present on the island but some are not resident on the island, it is often difficult to tell which is which unless they are ringed. 

Wader numbers are building up but still no Purple Sandpipers yet. Ninety three Turnstone and 16 Redshank roosted on the ledges of the wall by the steps in Niffy Bay.

A young Common Seal (most at Hilbre are Grey Seals) hauled out just below the SK paddock and happily sunbathed undisturbed until a local fisherman in a rib got to close and it swam off.

 The sunshine brought out a few Bumblebees and an unfortunate dead frog was also logged.

 Ringed : 2 Goldcrests 

Photos PSW