Huffin & Puffin on Hilbre, no G

We've had an excellent few weeks on Hilbre and spring migration has started in earnest. This year I've been able to get over more often and have been present on some really excellent days!

Highlights over the last few weeks have included my first ever Hilbre and Wirral / Cheshire Puffin that appeared off the NE side on a misty morning. Although distant the sea was flat calm so the viewing was quite good. It was on show for about 15 minutes before flying northwards into the mist.

The same day fin ished with the discovery of a colour ringed Oystercatcher as the tide fell and the birds left their roost on Middle Eye. Some detective work and help from Richard Du Feu put me in contact with a Norwegian ringing scheme and the results came back within minutes! Another good 'control' for Hilbre.

Oystercatchers colour ringing in Norway (3)
Last CR-Code Green ring with white Code: T231 LBM;RBGW(T231)
Ringing Centre Stavanger Museum (Norway) Ring number 5195589
Species Eurasian Oystercatcher  Haematopus ostralegus  

Date

Place

Coordinates

Days

Distance

Direction

19.07 2017    

Lynghøyen, Mjåtveit, Meland, Hordaland, Norway

60°30'57"N 005°13'41"E

-----

-----

---

06.08 2017  

Lynghøyen, Mjåtveit, Meland, Hordaland, Norway

60°30'57"N 005°13'41"E

18

0

 

16.04 2019 

Hilbre Island, Cheshire, Great Britain

53°38'22"N 003°22'54"E

636

773

 

Short-eared Owls are on the move and the Chairman and I arrived one evening for an over night stay to find Paul Slater had found an owl that had been showing exceptionally well just outside the Obs before we arrived. A quick search of the island as dusk fell revealed it at the north end of the island.

A fabulous bird and a fabulous sunset.

A week later another Shortie was disturbed in bracken at the north end of Hilbre and flew towards Red Rocks being pursued by angry Herring Gulls.

Over the last week or so good numbers of pipits and flava wagtails have been passing over the island but the misty Puffin day also resulted in a few being grounded and spending the morning buzzing round the various paddocks and gardens - including these two that turned up in the Obs garden!

Another recent visit coincided with a fall of migrants and 82 birds were ringed. Mainly Willow Warblers but there were good numbers of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs as well. The day coincided with Hilbre's first Ring Ouzel of the spring. As is common with these birds on Hilbre it hung around for most of the day and was eventually caught in one of the heligoland traps. This particular bird was really scaly underneath and caused some discussion over its potential origin.

The Ring Ouzel wasn't the only highlight of the day. Two Grasshopper Warblers, a fine male Redstart  and a Hilbre scarcity in the form of a Sedge Warbler was also ringed.

If the spring carries on like this I'll have to consider making Hilbre my local patch for Patchwork Challenge 2020 rather than the area around my usual one! At the moment I'm on 80 species for Hilbre and 80 for my local patch / garden!