Also spent a very pleasant day on Hilbre yesterday, only additions
2 x Arctic Skua
Peregrine chasing waders as we walked out to the island
2 x Grey Wagtail
great to see the Red Throated Divers in Summer Plummage
and the highlight tho non-birding was 3 Porpoise.

DavidBowman wrote:

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Hi Hazel, the bird we saw didn't appear to be ringed and that's also borne out by the photo (which I'd be happy to send you if you want).

Cheers David

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Thanks David, I just wondered if it was the same one I had seen the previous week but sounds like it was another Mediterranean Gull with having no ring; such lovely birds and this one I saw was a juvenile, born this year so nice to know they are making their way to the N.West ! I always love seeing photos and much appreciate the offer of emailing it, thank you. Here is the link to the ringed Med.Gull that I saw Photos from the Wirral ( Mediterranean Gull) Hope the link works, first time I have tried it. Thank you again David and Kind regards, Hazel

Hi Hazel, the bird we saw didn't appear to be ringed and that's also borne out by the photo (which I'd be happy to send you if you want).

Cheers David

spent high tide on hilbre with phil Kelly.

20+ red throated divers
2 gannets
1000s of scoters over towards turbines, several passing close by showing themselves as commons, no signs of any other species.
at least 3 great crested grebes
30+ guillemots
1 distant skua sp
several sandwich terns
few common terns
6 brent geese
2 little egrets
8 grey herons
could not find the purple sandpiper, other waders inc..
turnstones, redshanks, curlews, ringed plovers, dunlins, oystercatchers, bar tailed godwits.
several meadow pipits & linnets.

despite not seeing any other sea birds and not getting back to see the semipalmated sandpiper at kings gap, a very pleasant day, thanks again phil

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 21st of September 2013 08:55:19 PM

Hi David, interesting to read about your venture over to Hilbre and the sightings. Regarding the Mediterranean Gull at Marine Lake, did you notice if it was ringed by any chance as I was lucky enough to see one last week at Marine Lake and reported the ring code (3AAH) ; turned out to be a Danish born chick and the people I reported it to (in France and Belgium) were interested to hear if I spotted it again in the future. I was at West Kirby yesterday with no sign of the gull in the morning at low tide. Thanks :)

Walked on at 7.00 am with our Woolston contingent (Dave Steel, Dave Spencer, Al Warford, Nev Powell and Ste Dodd) mixed in with the Hilbre regulars (Kenny, Tony, Stuart and Colin, followed later on by Alan) and stayed over the tide, hoping for a few residual petrels. The weather conditions weren't auspicious, with a south-easterly blowing and light rain starting to fall. A quick breakfast in the Obs and then down to the sea-watching hide for a fairly barren few hours, with just odd Manx Shearwaters and Gannets among the scores of Sandwich Terns. Then back to the Obs for lunch, interrupted by news of a single Leach's Petrel off the point, resulting in a dash back down to the hide. The weather had now shifted to the west, the sun had broken through and seabirds started to move past. In the end totals included: 20 Leach's Petrels, 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Great Skua, 5 Red-throated Divers, 1 Guillemot, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 250 Sandwich Terns, 15 Common Terns, 20 Gannets, 2 Peregrines, 1 Little Egret plus masses of the regular waders. As we wallked off, a Mediterranean Gull on the Marine lake capped a really excellent morning.

Cheers David

Mark Burgess wrote:

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Walked over the sands to spend high tide on Hilbre.

Sandwich Tern c30
Little Tern 4
Dunlin c200
Ringed Plover c100
Whimbrel
Great Crested Grebe 2
Guillemot 2
Common Scoter 2
Gannet 3
Turnstone c30
Oystercatcher c200
Meadow Pipit


-- Edited by Mark Burgess on Sunday 8th of September 2013 04:19:25 PM

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hi mark I was probably stood right next to you yesterday , I can add that there was 4-5 guillemots ( what looked like juvenilles or winter plumage birds)
1 male common scoter as the tide was coming in before others arrived.
several common terns
at least 8 bar tailed godwits
a couple of small flocks of knot
upto 6 great crested grebes
1 kestrel

Walked over the sands to spend high tide on Hilbre.

Sandwich Tern c30
Little Tern 4
Dunlin c200
Ringed Plover c100
Whimbrel
Great Crested Grebe 2
Guillemot 2
Common Scoter 2
Gannet 3
Turnstone c30
Oystercatcher c200
Meadow Pipit


-- Edited by Mark Burgess on Sunday 8th of September 2013 04:19:25 PM

Hilbre not best for birds this time of year but Curlew Oystercatcher, Linnet, Hedge Sparrow, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Swallow, more common gulls.


Hilbre quite good for plants this time of year with Sea Mayweed, Sea Campion, Sea Purslane, Sea Holly, Sea Spleenwort in a cave on the south of the island and on the east, Rock Sea Lavender West Coast and around the old Lifeboat house (1 of 5 places in England for this plant with 10% of the population here.) Thrift, ling, bell heather, buck horn plantain, Danish scurvy grass, rock sea spurry, marsh pennywort in the pond, Common Centaury but this needs checking, Hemlock Water Dropwort, common ragwort, Ladies Bedstraw, honeysuckle, sheepbit scabious, creeping cinquefoil. Other things 300 seals on the sand banks, 6 seals close in at the north of the island, Azure damsel mating, rather splendid Garden Tiger Moths, burnet moth caterpillers, Shore Crab, Mussels, Limpets, Cockles and Razor shells

<small><i>-- Edited by Ian Boote on Sunday 14th of July 2013 09:46:32 PM</i></small>

A really enjoyable day on Hilbre yesterday, with some of the Woolston regulars (Dave Steel, Mike Miles, Al Warford and myself) meeting up with our comrades from the Hilbre Obs (Kenny McNiffe, Colin Jones, Tony Ormond and Stuart Darrock - unfortunately Alan Hitchmough couldn't make it, held up by the minor inconvenience of work!). We walked on at 7.15 am and wandered off at 3.00 pm, finding a dead Grey Seal on the way back - looking like it had been cut up by a boat propeller. A sunny, social day with some steadfast sea-watching (by some of us!) and a lot of birding reminiscences and even more laughs. Grey Seals were plentiful and close in (I'll try and post some video clips to Facebook) with just one Common Seal noted. Birds included: 4 Great Crested Grebes, 40 Gannets, 20 Cormorants, 2 Grey Herons, 16 Shelducks, 2 Mallards, 107 Common Scoters, 270 Oystercatchers, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Turnstones, 1 Dunlin, 26 Knot, 60 Herring Gulls, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 33 Common Terns, 30 Sandwich Terns, 2 Guillemots, 11 Swifts, 4 Swallows, 30 Meadow Pipits (including 1 ringed), 1 Pied Wagtail and 1 Wren. We'll definitely get back before long, hopefully tied into some peak sea-bird passage. Thanks again to the Obs crew for their peerless hospitality.

Cheers David

09.30-11.30

6 Whimbrel showing really well on the rocks by the old life boat slipway.

Also there 12 Knot, 2 Redshanks, 1 rather sickly Guillemot, lots of Oystercatchers and pristine summer plumage Dunlin, with lesser numbers of Turnstones.

26 Ringed Plovers with a group of Dunlin.

On the sea were 4 Great Crested Grebes, a distant Arctic Skua and 2 passing Sandwich Terns.

Apart from numerous Meadow Pipits the only passerines were 4 Linnets, 1 Wheatear, 4 Goldfinches and a single male Blackbird.

120+ Grey Seals were resting on their isolated sandbank.

A single Common Scoter and a few passing Gannets reported.

-- Edited by John Williams on Saturday 4th of May 2013 10:03:14 AM

10.30-14.00

A strong icy NE wind did'nt bode well for a sea watch.

No sign of any divers bobbing about on the waves, just 8 Great Crested Grebes, a drake Common Scoter, 2 Grey Seals and a pair of Wigeon.

Masses of Knots mooching about on the rocks with Oystercatchers and Redshanks galore too.

Lesser numbers of Turnstones, with 1 bird wearing a red colour ring on its left leg and a yellow plus a green ring on the right.

6 Purple Sandpipers mingled with the Turnstones and Knot. 110 Brent Geese, all light bellied, dotted around the island.

Amongst the waders, just 2 Grey Plover and a single Ringed Plover. Masses of Herring and Common Gulls, but no sign of the rarer species.

21 Grey Seals were hauled out on their usual sandbank in the middle of the Dee estuary.

Lots of human disturbance today, it is half-term after all, the kids are no problem, it's the adults clambering over the rocks deliberatly disturbing the waders that are.

A couple of guys thought it was great fun to flush the Brent Geese

Walked onto Hilbre at dawn, with Dave Steel, Kenny McNiffe et al, for a stay over the tide to count waders and seabirds. Highlights from all observers were 1 Velvet Scoter, 1 Great Northern Diver, 68 Red-throated Divers, 17 Purple Sandpipers roosting within ten yards of the sea-watching hide, 1 Peregrine and 1 Little Egret. Mammal sightings included 1 Common Seal, 6 Short-tailed Voles and c.20 Grey Seals. Total bird counts were:

Velvet Scoter 1
Great Northern Diver 1
Red-throated Diver 69
Purple Sandpiper 17
Razorbill 1
Common Scoter 40
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Great Crested Grebe 71
Guillemot 10
Peregrine 1
Little Egret 1
Cormorant c.50
Oystercatcher 30,000 estimated
Knot 2,500
Dunlin 79
Sanderling 2
Bar-tailed Godwit 1
Curlew 28
Turnstone 80
Redshank 20
Ringed Plover 4
Grey Plover 1
Brent Goose 117
Mallard 4
Teal 8
Wigeon 3
Canada Goose 3
Common Gull 50
Herring Gull c.5,000
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Black-headed Gull 63
Great Black-backed Gull 5
Meadow Pipit 2
Rock Pipit 1
Wren 3
Dunnock 1
Robin 4
Blackbird 2
Song Thrush 2
Carrion Crow 4
Linnet 25

Cheers David


-- Edited by DavidBowman on Tuesday 29th of January 2013 10:47:44 AM

A pleasant day on Hilbre with Dave Steel, Kenny McNiffe et al and managed to get off before any rain came in One Purple Sandpiper (though 3 are apparently present), 191 Brent Geese, 8 Bar-tailed Godwits and 3 Little Egrets were among the masses of commoner waders.

Cheers David

Just about made it onto Hilbre to spend high tide on the island. Some great birds seen although not really the ones I expected.
Highlights on Hilbre were a pair of Merlin, a Short-eared Owl rising from the bracken and flying over towards Hoylake, and a kestrel.
The main wader action was taking place on Middle Eye with Curlew, Oystercatcher, Knot, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Redshank, plus a large group of Brent Geese and a female Red-breasted Merganser. Also a small group of Bar-tailed Godwits and distant Sanderling flocks were seen on the way back to the mainland.
Nice to see Joe Wynn on the island, and thanks for your tips. Very impressed with your dedication to get the perfect shots! Funnily enough the only other people on the island seemed to be a couple from Didsbury - a definite Mancunian flavour to the island today.

Some photos from today on flickr[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/52461798@N02/]

Oops, just remembered that there is this dedicated Hilbre thread so have included for completion the following for our visit to the island on the 17th September originally reported in the general Wirral thread..........


...............a longish day for the Manx Birder, John Barber and myself out on Hilbre Island today, 17th. We left West Kirby just after 09.00 and got back at about 16.00, obviously staying over high tide. The weather was kind and we saw some good stuff including several Wheatear, Grey Heron, Linnet, Goldfinch and Swallow on the island itself.

On the rocks/sand up to and post high water big numbers of Knot and Oystercatchers plus several Turnstone and c.25 Brent Geeese on Little Eye at high water.

On the sea; Fulmar, 2 Manx Shearwater, Common Scoters, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant(lots), a single Shag, Gannets including several young birds, 5 - 6 but distant sightings of Diver species, Sandwich Terns, the usual Gulls and several Skua species sightings also very distant. We did have a very close in Great Skua giving a young gull a hard time which for us was the highlight of the day especially as the Skua lost interest in the Gull which flew off unscathed.

There were also lots of Grey Seals to be seen in the water all of the time we were out there.....................

A great, if blustery, day on Hilbre today with quite a crowd present.

Highlights:

2 x Leachs Petrel
1 x Great Skua
at least 1 Arctic Skua
1 x Red-throated Diver(not seen by me)
1 x Black-throated Diver (not seen by me)
4 x Great-crested Grebe
3 x Guillemot
2 x Razorbill
lots x Common Scoter
at least 8 x Pale-bellied Brent Geese
8 x Bar-tailed Godwit
1 x Little Egret
10 x Knot

Cheers

Patrick

A day on the Wirral with John Barber started with us setting off to walk out to Hilbre Island at 07.30 - and although we knew that the weather and the tides were not particularly favourable for an eventful birding morning we enjoyed the walk out in the sunshine. We called in the obs to hear that yesterday's Firecrest had not been seen this morning and that nothing particularly exciting had come in overnight. We spent a couple of pleasant hours and found of interest Turnstone, Little Egret, Gannet, Fulmar, Sandwich Tern, Ringed Plover and a group of 5 very confiding Sanderling. As the water receded, exposing the sandbank behind the island, approximately 150 Grey Seals hauled themselves out of the water to bask in the sunshine.

-- Edited by sid ashton on Saturday 4th of September 2010 09:05:09 AM

Wirral Rangers and RSPB have organised another day out to Hilbre island at the end of April - Friday 30th to be precise - phone 0151 648 4371 to book a place.

Should be good for migrants - we'll be staying over high tide too.

Cracking view of Peregine (female from size, I'd say) perched up on Middle Eye, surveying the surrounding rock pools.

M Wheatear on main Island.

1 Purp Sand. with numerous O/catcher, redshank, t/stone etc. Still a few Brent geese present on sand.

Ian Coote wrote:

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A wonderful day and many many thanks to the organisers.

---

Thanks

Fri 6th
Went out yesterday on an organised visit with RSPB and Wirral Coastal Park Rangers for a 6 hour visit.

Peregrine
Kestrel
Brent Geese (90+)
Oystercatcher (c. 5000)
Bar Tailed Godwit (one eaten by peregrine!)
Shag
Knot (plus thousands circling in sky)
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper (excellent views)
Rock Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Curlew
Cormorant
Common Scoter
Redshank
Turnstone
Usual Gulls
Gt Crested Grebe
Guillemot

Many curious seals came to look at us throughout the whole visit.

A wonderful day and many many thanks to the organisers.

Had a long planned trip to Hilbre this afternoon [after North Wales this morning] and was surprised to see at least 75 Brent geese [all pale bellied form but quite a few ringed]. The weather went from gales, to sleet to bright sun so lucky to see many birds but also saw a very large roost of cormorants, plenty of Oystercatchers, LBBG, BHG, Curlew, Turnstone and some Knot but the highlight for me was a Purple Sand - my 200th lifer! Also saw the seals on the far sandbank.

Popped into Parkgate on the way home at sunset to see three SEOs and a Barn Owl [plus an SEO having an arial spat with a kestrel.

They were Ann!!!

If you are planning on paying a visit, do keep an eye out though, as Hilbre has been known to attract a one or two Dark-Bellied in the past too!!!

Cheers

Phil

Anne don't know if it's any help but the Brents that have been on and around Hilbre since mid September ( http://www.hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com) have been pale-bellied. Don't know about Phil's recent arrivals though.

Are the Brents pale-bellied Phil?

Had a few spare hours this afternoon so decided to walk the dog over to Hilbre, a place which I never tire of visiting (apart from the walk over there!!) Had to be a quick visit as the time to be off the island was 3.30pm. Hundreds of Oystercatchers around together with the other regulars like Redshank, Turnstone and Curlew. Also had good views of a flock of at least 15 or so Brent Geese which have arrived recently to spend the winter there. After that I had to make tracks due to the time, so another long walk was in order, this time back to West Kirby!!!