11th May 2024

 Weather: ESE force 4   slight mist,  SSE 3 in the afternoon.

 Another beautiful day, this time with a fresh breeze and there were just 2 Willow Warblers in the paddocks first thing. A Whitethroat was singing in the old obs later and a Skylark also singing at the south end. Three Greenland Wheatears, a Grey Wagtail, and a Goldfinch were logged and a Redpoll was ringed.

Several Swallows plus 5 Sand Martins and 3 House Martins completed the small migrants. Three Woodpigeons were noted, 2 seem to be nest building. Highlights of the day were in the early afternoon with a Marsh Harrier in off the sea and flying distantly down the estuary on the west side, and then a Short-eared Owl was flushed from the spouith west side of the island and flew east towards Red Rocks.

 

Quite a few butterflies today, 8 Green-veined Whites and a Red Admiral. The Fox left fresh evidence of it's presence. A summary of the waders included 420 Dunlin, 19 Whimbrel, 38 Ringed Plover, 79 Turnstone and 53 Sanderling. Twenty two Gannets were logged, also 2 Common Terns and a Little Tern, a first for the year at Hilbre. A single Common Scoter was about the island with the late staying Brent. There were 5 Eiders, 6 Little Egret and 2 Grey Heron. In the evening a Common Sandpiper was found in the Niffy bay area.

 Ringed: 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Redpoll 

 Photos : SRW

10th May 2024

 Weather: ENE force 1  veering south east early morning

Another relatively quiet day despite the breeze being in the south east most of the morning. A Willow Warbler which became ringed was the only one here today but there were 3 male Whitethroats one of which also was ringed. 

Greenland Wheatears did better than the Willow Warblers, two of each sex were about the west side and north end. 

Apart from the breeding Linnets the only finches were a couple of Goldfinches and 8 Redpolls, 5 of which came in a group to the mist nets. Few Swallows again, mostly the local birds, but 2 Sand Martins visited the island. best of the waders were a flock of 100 Bar-tailed Godwits, plus about twenty more feeding on the north shore. Lower numbers of Whimbrel today, only about half a dozen seen. Five Eiders spent the low tide on the west hoyle bank, there were also 5 Mallard on the pond (including just one female) and the tardy Brent was in the gutter and then joined the Eiders to the west. Two Little Egrets and a Grey Heron fed about the islands. Very little on the sea, only 3 Sandwich Terns noted. May is a month of flowers at Hilbre and the Thrift is now in full bloom.

 The moth trap this morning was a little more productive than of late with the following:

Seraphim

 

 

Netted Pug

Silver Y ( with amazing camouflage)

From the moths released early this morning to events at the end of the day when towards midnight our members present had spectacular uninterrupted views of the aurora, starting with the view from the life boat house.

 

 

Ringed:  5 Lesser Redpolls, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackbird.

Photos: CJW, SRW

9th May 2024

Weather: SW force 2,    later veering N 2

Some mist and fog again today, but migration was limited. Nine Redpolls were calling  and a single was caught and ringed.

Four Siskin and 2 Goldfinches were others of their like, while 2 Tree Pipits flew over and  2 Willow Warblers were in the paddocks. A male Whitethroat may have been here since yesterday and a single male White Wagtail made a good picture while at a pool on the top of the island.

There were no martins today and most of the Swallows seemed to be the local breeding birds. Three Greenland Wheatears, 1 male and 2 females, were one more than yesterday.

 

 A visiting Magpie just about completed the new land birds.

Bar-tailed Godwits were in good numbers, 260 today and 22 Whimbrel were about the island and 18 Ringed Plover are still present. On the sea a couple of Gannets, 120 Sandwich and 2 Common Terns were the best. Five Eiders were present toady. The Fox was in the SK paddock again, this time our photographer was quick enough on the trigger.

 A Green-veined White butterfly and a Yellow-tail caterpillar were recorded.

Ringed: 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Lesser Redpoll.

 Photos:  AS,  SRW

8th May 2024

Weather: WNW  force 1/2  fog most of the morning,  wind variable but light during the day   Sunny in the afternoon.

Wednesday started with the glimpse of a Short-eared Owl in the thick fog on Middle.

A search of the island failed to locate it again, but a few hours later it appeared and circled over the members in the area of the lookout and showed well to one and all.

 

 

A few Willow Warblers were noticed now and again and then a Whinchat was found near the south end of the island. It stayed most of the day.

Whitethroats were the next to be observed and 2 of the 3 present were caught for ringing.

 

Two Spotted Flycatchers were photographed in the gardens and paddocks, a date that is earlier than their normal arrival time at Hilbre.

Lots of Lesser Redpolls flew around in groups, estimated total was 35, several were ringed.

 

The odd Siskin joined them, about 8 Siskins altogether, with 4 Goldfinches also here. Mid-morning a Swift flew through becoming the first arrival on Hilbre this year.

In addition to the first Swift, hirundines also featured again with a passage of 18 Sand Martins, 12 House Martins and about 100 Swallows.

Three Tree Pipits and a Yellow Wagtail called while passing by, as did a Skylark which also broke into it's famous song.

Two Goldcrests were unseasonable visitors, both were females and became ringed.

Wheatears were mostly lacking this morning just 2 Greenland race were seen. The sea was quiet and for most of the day very difficult to penetrate the fog anyway, just single Gannet and Great Crested Grebe was logged and 30 Sandwich Terns. Loafing around the island shore were 6 Eiders and a Common Scoter, and a flock of 21 Whimbrel flew over the island as did 2 of the 11 Little Egrets present. 

 A Common Sandpiper was around the Niffy bay area but failed to keep still for photographers and soon disappeared. Whimbrel were slightly down in numbers but still about a dozen around. Spectacular was a flock of 4,000 Knot flying directly over the obs this afternoon. The Fox broke cover in the SK paddock early in the afternoon. Tawny mining Bees were about the grassy areas today.

Two of our more ditinctive moths were in the moth trap this morning.

Brimstone

Green Carpet

 

Ringed: 7 Willow Warblers, 6 Lesser Redpolls, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Goldcrests.

Photos:   AEH, CJ, SRW

7th May 2024

 Weather:  NNE force 1.

 

The morning started with cloud and some mist but brightened up as the day went on.

 

 Light winds again so birds expected to trickle in. The star bird was a Whinchat which appeared in the bottom shelf of the garden mist net. 

 

A Greenland Wheatear (one of 4 today) when caught had munched it's way through 2 lots of meal worms in the potters and weighed massive 45 grams, even though it was a female (which are usually smaller) than the males, during ringing it steadfastly refused to let go of a meal worm in it's bill.

 

 A male Sedge Warbler that had been here some hours was also eventually ringed.

 

A single Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler completed the warblers on the island.

A Grey Wagtail and a flava type Wagtail (yellow) were noted and finches present were 3 Goldfinch, 1 Siskin and of course the local Linnets. About 30 Swallows flew through and a lone House Martin also came today. The sea birds were not as memorable as yesterday but a Manx Shearwater and an Arctic Skua was seen and excellent numbers of Gannets (60), Red-throated Divers (25), Guillemots (50) were on the flat sea with records of a single Red-breasted Merganser and 120 Sandwich Terns. There were 38 Whimbrel, some on the rocks down the west side and at the north end.

In contrast to the Whimbrel there were only 4 Curlew.

The numbers of Knot (3,000) and Dunlin (2,000) have not changed much with some small waders about, 77 Turnstone, 40 Ringed Plover and 6 Sanderling. Ten Eiders were keeping the single Brent company. Another very pleasent day on the island.

 In the moth trap were a Muslin Moth and an Angle Shades

 

Ringing: 1 Whinchat, 1 Greenland Wheatear, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Linnets.

Photos JE, SRW