24th January 2025

 Weather: WSW force 9/10

 A quick visit on the afternoon of the storm to assess the damage found that things were not too bad although of course repairs to traps and fences etc. are always expected following strong winter gales. The wind remained between severe gale and storm force and the West Hoyle was white with spray despite the neap tide and the Hilbre pool staying full.

The tide seemed higher than predicted as there was a lot of tide in earlier than expected. Things were a lot calmer to the east side of the island.

 

The Brent are at a high at the moment, 425 today, one of which unusually landed in the island pool where it drank and bathed.

 

Lots of the waders hunkered down out of the wind including the 1,200 Oystercatchers,

 also the 134 Ringed Plovers counted. 

 

Other waders around were 21 Curlew, 85 Turnstone, 190 Sanderling, 140 Knot, 25 Dunlin, 30 Redshank, and 6 Purple Sandpipers. Three Eider were here and 6 Common Scoter were near to the island.

 There were no other sea birds in evidence if you exclude the gulls and the 360 Cormorants.

Noted in the gardens were 2 Wrens, 2 Robins and 3 Blackbirds.

 

Photos CJW

19th January 2025

 Weather: E force 3       cold

Big surprise early this morning was a Golden Plover sitting by the island pond. Golden Plover is a scarce bird at Hilbre at the best of times where it is normally on the shore and it is exceptional for one to be found on the island.

 The pond also held the first pair of Mallard of the year at an especially early date.

 

 About 125 Brent were seen this morning with a single Eider and a Common Scoter. Waders were scarce on this visit, there were 2 Grey Plover as well as the Golden, 40 Redshank, 60 Turnstone and just 6 Purple Sandpipers. Single birds seen were a Shag, a Grey Heron and the Kestrel. On the island 6 Blackbirds were logged, also 4 Song Thrushes and a Rock Pipit. 

Photos AEH

15th January 2025

 Weather: SE force 3  later ESE 2

With a lovely spring feel to the day pipits had increased slightly with 3 Meadow and 4 Rock recorded while tothers on the island were 4 Blackbirds, 3 Robins and a Song Thrush.

 

Two male Teal drifted up the Gutter with the tide and 4 male Wigeon flew up the estuary, 7 Eider are still present around the islands. In the Swash today there were just 8 Red-throated Divers but Great Crested Grebes had increased to 72. Purple Sandpipers were at 26 today, Turnstone 300, Knot 300, Dunlin 150 and Grey Plover 53. The Kestrel was here and the Weasel was seen in the obs garden today.

Photos AS

14th January 2025

Weather: WSW force 3,  later W 1/2 with mist. At 1300 hrs a heavy mist suddenly swept in.

The light winds made it possible earlier to spot 32 Red-throated Divers and 4 Great Crested Grebes in the Swash west of the island along with a sighting of 2 Harbour Porpoise.

Roosting in Niffy Bay were 284 Turnstone, 86 Redshank and some of the 27 Purple Sandpiper that were recorded. A good count was had of 172 Grey Plover on the east hoyle after the tide. Seven of our Eiders were in evidence, also 380 Brent, the Kestrel and 50 Common Scoter. Both Weasel and Fox left signs of their presence.

Photos AS

10th January 2025

 Weather:  Force 1, calm, cold but sunny

 It is not often we see ice on the shore.

An afternoon visit for several members with maintenance in mind because of the winter storms. 

 There were still 320 Brent in our area including a colour ringed bird (XJBB).

 

In addition to the Brent and the local Eiders (5) there were 5 Pintail noted today. The Kestrel was not recorded today but there was a Peregrine and a Merlin on the list. Twelve Curlews included the German ringed bird.

A flock of 120 Grey Plover performed a good flypast.

Highlight of the winter species noted were 2 Fieldfares, and winter a passage of 23 Starlings, meanwhile still remaining on the island are at 4 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes and 4 Robins.

The moon was prominent during the afternoon.

 

And on the marine lake were 7 Goosander, a Red-breasted Merganser and a pair of Goldeneye which have been scarce so far this winter.

Photos AEH, SRW

4th January 2025

 Weather: SE force 3,  increasing force 5

On a quiet winters day the only birds found of note were 7 female type Eider east of middle over the tide, there were still about 300 Brent around the islands and 30 Common Scoter out to sea. Three hundred Grey Plover were on east hoyle bank as the tide made, 4,000 Knot were about, 120 Turnstone rested and Purple Sandpiper had increased to 26 birds. A Little Egret and 2 Grey Herons fed on the shore and the Kestrel made a brief appearance. The usual residents were here; seen today were 4 Wrens, 4 Blackbirds, 4 Robins, a Song Thrush and Rock Pipit. There was fresh evidence that the Fox was here recently even if not seen today.

2nd January 2025

 Weather: E force 2,   later backing NNW 1

It was quite fresh from the North, and we could make out the Lake District peaks first thing, while the pond had a lot of ice on the surface.

There have only been 2 individual Rock Pipits at Hilbre over the last few weeks, colour ringed CAK (below) and CAD, both ringed here as part of our ringing scheme. We can only speculate as to where the others are at this time (unless we recieve reports from elsewhere) and we await the spring to see if others return. This proves the value of colour ringing individual birds on the island.

 

A count of small birds around today found 8 Wrens, 3 Robins, a Pied Wagtail, a Meadow Pipit, the Rock Pipit, 5 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush.

A decent number of seabirds were seen, 5 Red-throated Divers, 22 Great Crested Grebes and 1,200 Common Scoter towards the wind turbines. The only wildfowl were 180 Brent, 13 Shelduck and 4 Eiders. Some of the 2,000 Knot roosted the tide on the island with 180 Turnstone and 125 Redshank.

 

Likewise some of the 29 Ringed Plover also rested on the island.

 

Purple Sandpipers were here in a pleasing number today, 24 birds.

 

The Kestrel hunted the island while on the shore just 2 Grey Herons and 1 Little Egret fed. The Weasel was once again seen in the obs garden so still surviving at the moment in the colder weather.

Photos CJW