Cuckoo, Hilbre

An email a few weeks ago from Liverpool University saying they were bringing a party of Evolutionary Biology students over for a field trip to Hilbre and could they visit the Obs had me juggling things around in my diary to make sure I could be there for them if no one else could make it. I'd been down to Devon for a few days to see my mum who, at 88, has just had a hip replacement, and was tired after the long journey back and didn't sleep well. Consequently I was awake at 05.30 but mooched around the garden with a brew listening to the dawn chorus for a while as I'd arranged to pick Steve up at 7.30. It turned out the students weren't prepared to get up early enough to walk across the before the high tide t 10.30 so we had the island to ourselves. It was cold but beautifully bright with clear blue skies. Not the best weather for ringing anywhere and especially not Hilbre where we generally rely on a bit of cloud and mist to bring birds down. Sure enough the first trap round was blank and apart from a single Wheatear that bombed through over our heads and a single Willow Warbler in the Obs garden there were only the local breeders around the island. Even these were strangely quiet. Steve remarked he thought there was a raptor around as the Oystercatchers seemed 'edgy' and were flying around in a tight flock calling. 

The reason soon became apparent as we walked the traps again. Another blank until we arrived at the SK. Steve called ' raptor in, move Phil' as a bird flew low in front of him towards the catching box end. I caught a brief glimpse of a blue - grey back and my immediate thought was male Merlin! However I soon realised my mistake when I spotted the tail and yelled ' its a f***ing Cuckoo' as I tried to pick it up by hand as it tried to get through the mesh of the heligoland. Safely bagged we took it back to the Obs where Steve ringed it watched by an appreciative small audience. A ringing tick for Steve but I'd been lucky enough to ring one yers ago when  I started ringing at Wicken Fen! 

It was aged and sexed as a 2nd calendar year female before being photographed and released at which point it headed straight back to the SK paddock. Celebrating with a brew we headed out again to see the Cuckoo heading off the island east before flying back over our heads and disappearing to North Wales with the strong NNE breeze behind it.

Checking the ringing records for the Obs we found this was only the 3rd Cuckoo ringed on the island in the last 40 years and only the 15th in total since the Obs opened 1957. The majority were ringed in the 60's and 70's illustrating the sad decline in this iconic species over the last few decades.

Spectacular Hilbre fall

I'd been to Hilbre with Steve on the 23rd April and thought we'd had a good day with a few Willow Warblers caught and ringed along with my 1st Redstart on the island since 2015. Compared to last year spring has been very good with a steady trickle of Willow Warblers and other species keeping the ringing totals ticking over. This female Redstart was the 2nd of the year following 3 blank years.

Roll forward 24 hours and I'm still jet lagged and tired after a full-on two weeks in Florida with all our grandchildren and children celebrating our forthcoming 40th wedding anniversary in June. Believe me the Disney experience is definitely not relaxing! 

Checking my phone I see a message from Steve asking if  I was about as Andrea had reported a big fall of Willow Warblers on Hilbre - at least 100 birds. Was I available? Next message was that Chris and Col were on their way over so  I guessed I wasn't needed. Steve then messaged to say there were at least 200 Willow Warblers on the island and it was definitely worth me getting across. 

Quickly dressing and leaving without having breakfast or having a chance to pack any food I messaged to say Id be at the Obs by 09.45.

When I arrived it soon became apparent this was going to be a very good day indeed.  Birds were arriving in off the sea all the time and the totals were slowly ticking upwards. This was turning out to be the best Hilbre fall for a number of years. Although Willow Warblers made up the majority of birds ringed (we eventually ringed 99) there was a smattering of other species with highlights being two Common Whitethroats. These allowed a good side by side comparison as they were a male and female. 

Male Whitethroat

Female Whitethroat

Male (L) and female (R) Whitethroat

Steve thought h'ed seen a male Redstart in the Blackthorn, near one of the heligoland traps and sure enough we caught it a bit later. A stunning bird.

With Chis and Col having to leave the island Steve and I carried on ringing, ably assisted by Andrea who scribed for us until the numbers started tailing right of and we stopped catching new birds. There was still time for one more surprise though when Steve extracted a Tree Pipit from the mist net in the Obs garden. The first I'd ringed on Hilbre since 2010.

An unforgettable day with 108 birds ringed  and the biggest daily total ringed on Hilbre since the last big fall of 2nd may 2012 - see here when we ringed 137 birds.

Another amazing Rock Pipit control

Our Rock Pipit colour ringing project continues to provide valuable information on the population on Hilbre Bird Observatory with our 2nd long distance movement of a juvenile bird seen in the field. Following our previous longest distance movement of a bird photographed at Bispham, Blackpool (see here) we had notification that CCH was seen on 2nd April 2026 at Garlieston, Dumfries and Galloway 176 km to the north north west.

CCH was originally ringed, by Steve, on Hilbre as a juvenile in August 2026 and was only seen once more on the island a month after ringing.

A great example of post juvenile dispersal and both our long distance movements are  of a bird thats travelled north.

Early spring on Hilbre

Since my return from Thailand I've managed to visit Hilbre on a number of occasions,. Initially helping with the repair of the Heligoland traps but more recently to carry out census and ringing activities as summer migrants start appearing.

Above and below. New posts, cross beams and mesh being installed on 'the heli'

Repairs to west side of 'Newton'

Newton ramp to catching box was in a bad state of repair

New marine ply ramp installed

Hilbre Bird Observatory is largely self funded and the repairs to both the Observatory building and the heligoland traps falls to a small group of people. Funds aren't limitless so we were pleased to be able to apply for and receive a grant from the British Birds Charitable Trust (see here) for materials to repair the traps as they are a vital part of our infrastructure and need a lot of TLC after the winter storms. With Chris and his mate working on repairing the wood burning stove and chimney stack in the Obs building we're getting the place shipshape for a good spring! 

Starling 

Dunnock

Goldcrest

Chiffchaff

Some of the winter visitors such as Brent Geese, Common Scoter, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone are still  present when the first summer migrants start arriving.

Male and female Common Scoter

Male Scaup - this beautiful duck hung around West Kirby marine Lake and Hilbre for quite a few weeks.

A real surprise was catching a Meadow Pipit with ring number Z619571. Assuming it was either a very old bird or a control I checked the ring number on line using the BTO's DemON database and found it was ringed by Chris, on Hilbre, on the 28th May 2018

It appears that it might be a new longevity record for Meadow Pipit as the previous oldest one recored by the BTO is 7 years, 9 months and 10 days. This bird is 7 years, 10 months and 1 day when I retrapped it on 1st April. We need confirmation from the BTO.

Spring is also characterised on Hilbre with a passage of White Wagtails whilst the first Wheatear of the spring is widely anticiapted.

White Wagtail

Female Northern Wheatear

Male Northern Wheatear

Another early spring highlight was finding this colour ringed Stonechat. Tom spotted it as we were driving beside Middle Eye but it disappeared before we could get photos'. Steve was already on Middle Ey so we rang him to tell him and exited the vehicle to help look for it. Luckily it was relocated and it turned out it was ringed on the Isle of May in 2025. A good indications as to where our regular spring passage of Stonechats may come from.

After being missing most of the winter our breeding Rock Pipits are returning and its nice to see a number of the previously colour ringed birds returning. CAI is the oldest bird seen so far this year having been ringed in 2023. However, the oldest Rock Pipit was first ringed in 2020 but only colour ringed in July 2025. CBX seems to breed on Middle Eye and was seen and photographed at the end of MArch this year.

Ringing demonstration Ness Botanic Gardens

For a few years now I've been helping out at bird ringing demonstrations at Liverpool Universities Ness Botanic gardens run by the Merseyside Ringing Group (MRG). See here for more details of events held at Ness Gardens.

They're always well attended and its a real pleasure talking to people about the birds and the purpose of bird ringing as well as being able to interact with youngsters who'll, hopefully, take an interest in the natural world and become the next generation of conservationists.

The most recent event coincided with a poor weather forecast but luckily the weather held for us and we caught a good variety of birds to keep the public happy. It was definitely quieter than previous ringing demos as most of the birds are pairing up and on territory but finch numbers were good with Siskin the commonest species. We also caught tow Redpolls - the first caught at Ness Gardens.

Male Chaffinch

Male Siskin

Redpoll

After the first Cetti's Warbler was caught and ringed by John last year it was still a surprise to catch another unringed bird. It was sexed by a male on biometrics with the males being significantly longer winged and heavier than the females. I learnt something new from Nikki as well as I'd only ringed juvenile Cetti's previously and hadn't had cause to look at the ageing criteria in Laurent Demongin's "Identification Guide to birds in the hand."

Cetti's Warbler

Occasionally 2nd calender year Cetti's Warblers retain their juvenile longest undertail coverts and these are noticeably faded and worn. This bird has retained these so was aged as a Euring 5 or 2nd calendar year.

The wonderful ladies who organise these educational events at Ness ensured the ringers were kept well fortified with tea and cakes from their on site cafe and we had a steady stream of moof visitors, young and old, all day. Some of the visitors return for every ringing demo and it was nice to see some familiar faces.

Ness Botanic Gardens is one of the few places in the north west where you can find the naturalised chlorophyll free parasitic Purple Toothwort. They obtain their nutrition from the roots of the host plant and 

don't have any leaves. 

A great day with 38 birds being processed of 14 species.  I'm looking forward to the next event in August that'll, hoepfully, be warmer!