26th September 2025

 Weather: E force 2    later SE   slight mist around the coast

It's always a good day when a Yellow Browed Warbler is caught for ringing, even if they are not quite so rare as they used to be. It was in the 'heli' trap just before 8.00hrs. At one time we could almost be certain of an October arrival for this species but lately occurances have been earlier here and elsewhere in the country. All this does not detract from the smart appearance of this siberian vagrant (or should it be scarce migrant now).

 

 Because of the expansion of records recently the B.T.O has organised a colour ringing scheme to try and discover the route these birds are taking, why are so many no longer heading towards the Indian region in the autumn? are they establishing a new wintering area? Hilbre is a part of this scheme and so attached colour rings to this bird. It was released close to the obs but was not seen again on the island, but maybe it will be seen elsewhere. The day had started off with promise with a few Chiffchaffs about and a male Stonechat on the old obs bushes. 

 It was a good day all round, 6 Wheatears made it to the island, one of them wondered which way to go next!

 
The Chiffchaffs kept arriving during the day with an estimated 20 all told, most of which dropped in during the afternoon, which is most unusual on migration days, the arrival of cloud from the west was probably the main reason.

 Two Goldcrests were also in the paddocks. Meadow Pipits came through in 3 figure numbers and 8 Robins ticked about the paddocks and gardens, and singles of Goldfinch and Swallow were logged. The calm sea was quiet, with little seen apart from 40 Common Scoter, 2 Sandwich Terns and 2 Great Crested Grebes, meanwhile the usual waders were here for the tide, and 14 Little Egrets and 3 Grey Herons fed on the shore. In the afternoon 330 Pinkfooted Geese flew east and a redhead Goosander landed in the pool between the islands where it has been on other days. Six Red Admirals, a Small Copper and a Painted Lady enjoyed the sunshine. 

 

Ringed: 10 Chiffchaffs, 1 Yellow Browed Warbler, 1 Goldcrest.

Photos CJ, SRW

25th September 2025

 Weather: SE force 2    NNW 1 at 14.00hrs   sunny all day

A clear sky all last night meant little was expected to be held up on their migration. Pink-footed Geese came in from the north east and down the west of the Dee, 54 birds, and while watching them a keen eyed observer spotted a large bird of prey circling out in the direction of the wind farms. It turned out to be yet another Marsh Harrier sighting for the autumn. A Song Thrush was soon seen in the paddocks, the first here this autumn.

 Single Chiffchaff and Goldcrests called in the gardens, as did about 8 Robins, there have been many here this last week or so. There were a small trickle through of Meadow Pipits, a couple of Pied Wagtails and 6 Goldfinches. A flock of 20 Linnets roamed the island. A surprise find in the obs garden net was a female Blackcap.

 An immature Peregrine came down east side spooked a few Oystercatchers on north end of middle but showed no interest in them and powered south.

 A late single Swallow also drifted south. The Kestrel was on Middle soon after dawn.  Brent Geese are at 79 individuals at the moment, they have arrived rapidly this autumn. Sixty two Shelduck were present and 450 Scoter way out to sea.  A Snipe was flushed from north of the grass cut near the old obs, a sign of autumn, and numbers of some waders are increasing such as 180 Ringed Plover, but only a few of others were seen, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Sanderling for instance. On the sea 4 Red-throated Divers and 16 Great Crested Grebes rested on the calm water, also 2 Guillemots. The Weasel thats been about for a while now appeared in the south east corner of the obs garden.

 Red Admirals are still arriving on the island, there were 12 today. 

 Ringed: 1 Song Thrush, 1 Blackcap, 1 Robin. 

Photos SRW 

24th September 2025

 Weather: SE force 2    E 1 by evening,  sunny

 No sign of the nightjar at Hilbre today following its sudden disappearance on yesterday morning, but with the wind switching towards the east there was a steady trickle of migrants on the island with Chiffchaff (4) and a Goldcrest both ringed. 

 

 

LIkewise 3 new Wrens, a Rock Pipit and a Robin were ringed. Two Wheatear were also present.

Overhead migration included Grey Wagtail and Skylark whilst several parties of Teal and a group of Wigeon passed by just above sea level.

 Forty Brent were here and 110 Pinkfooted Geese flew into the estuary early on. Close examination of a photo of an aythya in with a flock of Teal flying south west down the west side revealed it to be a 1st winter Scaup!  An increasingly scarce bird on Hilbre these days.

  

 

Continuing the wildfowl theme a Goosander flew out of a small trackside pool between Middle Eye and Hilbre and landed in the gutter. 

 

Sea birds were scarce: seen were 800 Common Scoter distantly, 7 Great Crested Grebes and a Razorbill near to the island.

 

Another highlight of the day must go to a juvenile / female type Marsh harrier picked up flying high and west towards Point of Ayr on the Welsh side of the Dee estuary. 

Best of the waders were 80 Ringed Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwit and 70 Sanderling. The young male Kestrel continued to show well posing on one of the flag poles on the island.

 A new Rock Pipit was caught and colour ringed and constitutes the 40th bird ringed as part of this scheme. We had some good news this week when one of or colour ringed Rock Pipits was sighted at Point of Ayr - the first record of one of our birds moving west! 

The warm sunshine brought out a few butterflies with Painted lady, Red Admiral and Large White being seen throughout the day. In the moth trap this morning were a few nice specimens including these,

Feathered Ranunculus

 

Frosted Orange

   A gorgeous evening light ended a good day on the island.

 

 

 Photos SRW, PSW

23rd September 2025

 Weather:  no recordable wind at dawn, NNE force 3 in afternoon, sunny

A medium sized bird that was glimpsed in flight from Telegraph house west garden towards the old obs yesterday, was present in the west garden area again this morning at about 8.30 when it again flew off in the direction of the old obs before being seen to fly out of the canoe club garden area about an hour later. It was recognised to be a Nightjar! Unfortunately this rare migrant bird was not seen again despite an extensive search. It is the 4th sighting in the 68 years of observatory recording. We were more fortunate on the last occasion a  Nightjar visited the island when it settled on a bench in the corner of the obs garden and then relocated to a branch of a bush just outside the fence for all to see (and some to twitch).  Photo from 12th May 2016. 

 

There were no other really exciting happenings today; a large increase of Brent to 57 birds, quite a few for this early in the autumn, also 14 Shelduck and 3 female Goosanders that flew in.

 

Small migrants were few, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests, 5 alba Wagtails, while 6 Meadow Pipits, 6 Robins and 8 Linnets could be classed as such. Eight Rock Pipits are still here, their numbers don't seem to vary much now during the year, also 6 Meadow Pipits, some of them our breeding birds that are still present.

 A Great Crested Grebe was logged also 9 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Herons and the Kestrel. Among the waders were 8,000 Oystercatchers, 120 Ringed Plover, 140 Curlew, 80 Dunlin, 70 Redshank and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Photos AS, SRW 

22nd September 2025

 Weather: SE force 1/2    sunny

It was warm and sunny with very little wind but a bigish tide. There was some gentle migration going on for most of the day, a couple of Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff and 2 Wheatears were best but there were 2 Swallows, 6 Pied and 3 White Wagtails, 5 Skylarks, a Reed Bunting and 7 Robins, (we seem to have had a lot of them recently). Two of the 7 Robins got ringed, as did the Chiffchaff and a Wren. 

Brent Geese are up to 22 birds now, and 85 Pinkfooted Geese flew in the estuary. also 50 Shelduck were present and 2 Common Scoter on the sea. All the usual waders were there including 7,600 Oystercatchers, 160 Curlew, 112 Dunlin, 60 Turnestone, 56 Ringed Plover and 58 Redshank. Two Sandwich Terns were the only 'sea' birds. Nine Little Egrets and 1 Grey Heron fed on the shore. On the ebb tide 18 Sanderlings were on the esat hoyle and 2 Great Crested Grebes were in the gutter. Later in the afternoon a Grey Phalarope was found feeding on the east hoyle bank (on the edge of our recording area). Found by Tim kinch it is one of quite a few records in the irish sea following the gales last week. 

 

 

 

 

An interesting looking insect which has now been classified as one of the colourful males of an Icheumonid wasp species.

Photos JE, CJW 

21st September 2025

Weather: NNE  cool , mostly sunny

 A cool northerly breeze on the island today with a distinct chill in the air. A real autumnal feel with Robins ticking in bushes and  Pinkfooted Geese, Skylark and Grey Wagtail flying over. There was a small passage of Meadow Pipits early morning with 34  being logged A Stonechat spent most of the day in the bracken at the south end of the island.

 

 ............ whilst two Wheatears enjoyed the shelter of the West side.

 

 

 

Seven Pale-bellied Brent Geese and Twenty Knot were on the Whaleback before being pushed off by the flooding tide.

 

 Wader numbers are increasing with 33 Turnstone and 31 Redshanks roosting in Niffy Bay. 2500 Oystercatcher roosted on Middle Eye over the high tide whilst a single Swallow flew over heading south. The sun brought out couple of Red Admirals.

 Ringed: 5 Robins 

 

Photos PSW 

20th September 2025

 

 Weather: SE force 3  with rain,  backing NE 2 before mid-morning 

Even on the wettest day for a long time a short visit was made to the island. Naturally no migrants were seen. Over a thousand Black-tailed Godwit flew distantly over the Caldy area but no such large numbers were about the island, although there was a single of the Bar-tailed variety, also 40 Redshank, 12 Curlew, 10 Turnstone, 2 Sanderling and 2 Ringed Plover. Some of the waders fed with the Little Egrets in the gutter.

  

A Brent also took advantage of the good feeding conditions. 

 

On the sea sightings were just a single Gannet and Sandwich Tern and 150 Common Scoter out towards the wind farms.

Photos AEH