13th November 2025

 Weather: SSW force 2    SW3 by midday

 A bright and sunny morning found a small scatter of migrants passing through during the morning including 2 Skylarks, 6 Starlings, 3 Siskin and 2 Chaffinches.

 A Goldcrest was caught and turned out to have been ringed here on 15th October, most Goldcrests only stay one or two days.

 A Merlin flew through the island.

 The Kestrel was also here,

 

Also on the island were some birds that may be staying for longer or wintering such as 4 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, 4 Robins, a Dunnock and 3 Rock Pipits, some of which are birds in our colour ringing scheme.

 Other birds seen included 800 Common Scoter, 3 Little Egret, a Grey Heron, a Great Crested Grebe, 100 Turnstone and 130 Redshank. Twelve Curlew were logged, one of them was the German ringed bird that has been seen here on and off earlier this year.

 

The damp weather over the last few days seems to have encouraged the growth of various fungi.

 Photos PSW, SRW 

12th November 2025

 Weather: ESE force 2/3   SE 0 later with drizzle

 

A quiet day as can be realised when 4 Wigeon off the south west side was probably the highlight of the day.

 Other wildfowl noted were 384 Brent Geese, 1,800 Common Scoter off to the north, 22 Shelduck and a female Eider. A Goldcrest was the sole migrant on the island with the exception of a Grey Wagtail and a few Meadow Pipits.

 The immature male Kestrel was here, also 2 Little Egrets and a single Grey Heron on the west side.

 

Just 3 Purple Sandpipers showed.

Photos SRW   

10th November 2025

 Weather: SSE force 3/4   SE 4 at noon, spitting with rain

Reasonable weather in the morning brought some decent birds to the island until just before the tide when heavy rain showers came out of the threatening clouds.

 

 

Early on a Merlin flew south west passed the island, and then the first Goldeneye of the autumn flew west passed the north end. At sea sightings were scarce, just 3 Red-throated Divers and 2 Great Crested Grebes. Brent are now at about 320 birds, while 2 Teal appeared off the island (below) which were the only duck today apart from an adult male Eider and the 1,400 Scoter off towards the wind farms..

 There was a good passage of small migrants including 24 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylarks (south), 3 Siskin, and about 40 Linnets that came to roost in the Blackthorn.

 Over 200 Starlings flew south, many flying low over the beach.

 

Four Goldcrest were grounded this morning. Large numbers of waders are now building for the winter including 7,250 Oystercatchers, 3,000 Knot, 2,500 Dunlin, 45 Grey Plover, 250 Sanderling, 122 Turnstone and 3 Purple Sandpipers.

 

Photos SRW 

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