16th May 2013

Weather: SSW 2, rain overnight but only very slight during the morning, wind backing SE by 8am

Large numbers of Dunlin (3500) and Ringed Plover (550) were counted on the gutter edge early morning.  At least 7 Whimbrel were noted mainly down the West Side of Hilbre and Middle.

A few Willow Warblers and a single Chiffchaff were caught and two Whitethroats were grounded including one caught and ringed.

A few Swallows and House Martins as well as a Swift passed over and a White Wagtail was around the island pond. A single redpoll spp passed over and a Goldfinch was caught in the old obs garden.

A single drake Eider flew down the West side.

Such a late Spring this year has meant that the south end of the island is only just turning blue with bluebells.

A Ruby Tiger was found in the Newton heligoland trap and two Common Seals were hauled out near the main Grey Seal haul out.

At 950hrs huge numbers of gulls went up off the East Hoyle sandbank (off Hoylake/Meols) but despite frantic searches the suspected large raptor could not be found. However, at about 1030hrs the gulls off the West Hoyle decided to taunt observers on the island again but this time the suspect was found - an Osprey slowly drifted westwards towards the Point of Ayr (Wales), it circled higher and higher and disappeared drifting towards the North Wales coast. The third Osprey of the Spring for the island. 

(DB, JE + 1, et al) [449-27] 

14th May 2013

Weather: SW 2-3 rain @ 10.00hrs . Later NW 4 7/8. 

Despite the wind dropping 100+ Gannet were estimated but things picked up on the island with 7 Willow Warbler and single Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler noted.

A small number of Swallows (41) passed through along with 2 House Martin and a single White Wagtail.

A single Little Egret was noted and the Rabbit was seen again as was a garden tiger moth caterpillar.

(DB)  

13th May 2013

Weather: WSW 6-7.

A single dark phase Arctic Skua, 20 Manxies, 350 Gannets, 200 Kittiwakes and 10 Arctic Terns were the seawatching highlights over the high tide today with two more Arctic Skuas and 2 Bonxies being seen on the ebb and 2 Little Terns completing the set of all four regular tern species.

Five Whimbrel were seen around the islands and 30 Swallows passed over.

(DB, MGT + KD)

11th May 2013

Weather: W 3 (increasing 6-7 later) 7/8 cloud, intermittent rain and even hail

The wind had been southerly overnight no doubt bringing in the half a dozen Willow Warblers to the island but there were hardly any other migrants present. A new litter of Short-tailed Field Voles was discovered today.

The three Scaup were still present on the flooding tide (a drake and two ducks).

Members had to leave before the tide despite the increasing wind turning slightly north of west and large numbers of skuas, particularly Pomarine, reported elsewhere in the Irish Sea.  However, a brief visit on the ebb (4-5pm) produced over 500 Gannets, 12 Kittiwakes, 37 Manxies, 130 Sandwich and 75 Common Terns and a single Bonxie flew west (as well as a distant large skua spp).

(DCT, PT+VT, CJW, PSW, SRW & TGW) [440-27] (Photos by SRW)

9th May 2013

Although the forecast predicted due south and then south west for the wind it stayed all morning in the south east but increased to a strong force 6/7 later. The first round of the traps found 6 Willow Warblers in the area with 4 being trapped but this proved to be a false dawn as no other migrants were later found on the ground apart from a couple of Wheatears. With little to excite the members attention turned to the overnight moth trap which produced a first for Hilbre no less when a Streamer moth (right) was confirmed to be present. Later in the morning a male Reed Bunting was found, and amazingly the Sedge warbler seen feeding on the seaweed at the north end 2 days ago had not left but was still exhibiting the same behaviour off the slipway. Logged today were 3,000 Dunlin, 300 Ringed Plover and a Little Egret.
Ringed:- 4 Willow Warblers.           [ 434-27 ]

(DB,CJ,DCT,PT,AW,NDW,CJW,PSW,et al)

8th May 2013

A strong south easterly this morning with showery rain starting just before dawn gave some hope that migrants may have been grounded. In reality there was a steady trickle of 25 Willow Warblers up to mid-day (right) but no sign of a any of the larger and scarcer warblers expected at this time in May. Visible migration made it very worthwhile to listen and look overhead, there were about 500 Swallows arriving from the north west, battling against the wind,with them were 30 House Martins, 3 Swifts together and a single Sand Martin, also small parties of Redpolls and a single Siskin. Scarcer species included a Tree Pipit, 2 White Wagtails and 3 Yellow Wagtails, one of which dropped briefly to the ground (below). A visiting Woodpigeon flew about on its own for a short while. A Common Sandpiper was found late morning on the east side of the island while Whimbrel only seemed to be in single figures today and wader numbers generally appeared to be lower than earlier in the week. Sea birds that were seen despite the wind being unsuitable to bring them close included: 35 Gannets, 6 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers and a Manx Shearwater off the west side.

Ringed:- 15 Willow Warblers, 2 Linnets.     [ 430-27 ]

(CJ,DCT,PT,NDW,CJW+PLN, et al)        photo  CJ 

7th May 2013

Weather SSE 1, cloud 3/8, vis 25 miles

Garden Warbler

 Another beautiful day with some typical May birds. A Garden Warbler found itself in the old obs mist net, the first of its kind seen at Hilbre this spring, and one we can miss out on altogether if we are unlucky. Another Whinchat, not the bird of yesterday arrived at the south end mid-morning but again proved elusive for the ringers, as did the half dozen or so Wheatears on the island today. A Cuckoo was seen flying off from the west side and being mobbed by Swallows, an hour later it again showed itself as it headed purposely towards Red Rocks. Cuckoo is less than an annual occurrence at Hilbre these days. A drake Eider dropped in the sea close by the rocks to the west of the obs, and the Common Scoter that has been around for a while now immediately flew in to join it almost as though he recognised it as a suitable companion.  

Siskin



About a dozen Willow Warblers were present , also a Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler that strangely fed on the seaweed at the north end for more than an hour, but did not appear later in the apparently more suitable habitat. Birds passing through today included a Tree Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 White Wagtails, several Lesser Redpolls and Goldfinches, 50 Swallows and a Sand Martin. A surprise at noon was the capture of a Siskin in the Newton heligoland trap, while by no means a rare bird as a migrant it was the first of its kind ringed at Hilbre this year. Whimbrel were in very good numbers, up to 22 today, and the large flocks of Dunlin flying around as the tide pushes in and out were in the order of between 2 and 3 thousand. Seventy Sandwich and 7 Common Terns were logged.



Whinchat



Eider with Common Scoter



Ringed:- 9 Willow Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Siskin, 1 Linnet, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Meadow Pipit.           [ 413-27 ]

(DB,CJ,DCT,PT,PSW,et al)       photos CJ