Great-spotted Woodpecker, Hilbre

 Its always good to get a new species for your local patch and a new species on Hilbre is surprisingly rare as over the years theres been excellent coverage and a good number of species recorded. To get two in two days (Melodious Warbler and Hoopoe) was a real surprise and as I picked up Chris and drove across to the Obs we both wondered what the  day would bring.

The 2nd trap round of the morning produced one of those moments when your heart rat picks up - a biggish bird with black and white wings got up off the ground in front of us  in the Newton trap. Surely not yesterdays Hoopoe? Unfortunately not but yet another new Hilbre bird for me and arguably, in the greater context of the Obs recording work, a more interesting bird. A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker,. Only the 3rd to be ringed by the Obs and all have been since 2015. Amazingly my third new bird for Hilbre in consecutive days.

Another new species was found later when I noticed a 'small' skipper flying around in one of the paddocks. Aware that Essex Skipper had spread rapidly north and had colonised Cheshire I got a few photos with the phone to aid identification and sure enough it was confirmed as the first Essex Skipper record for Hilbre.

Returning wader passage is continuing with parties of Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwits being seen around the island. Best of all were two summer plumaged Sanderling that spent the tide at the south end of the island with a small flock of Dunlin & Ringed Plover. A sure sign that summer is waning and autumn is on its way.

It was baking hot and by midday I was glad to get out the sun and sit in some shade whilst waiting for the tide to drop far enough to drive off.