Hummers & Skippers

A hot few hours spent on Hilbre recently was made more bearable by the presence of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring on Red Valerian on the east side cliffs. They're fairly regular on Hilbre during hot summer days and this was our first of the year.  Steve & spent quite a bit of time trying to photograph this amazing day flying migratory moth. 

They literally look like Hummingbirds and often get mistaken for one. The length of their proboscis is phenomenal.

Whilst watching the 'hummer' we spotted another small butterfly which we immediately identified as a skipper. I'd found Essex Skipper in 2021 - see here - and first thought it was one of that species due to the black underside of the swollen tip at the end of the antennae. But, when we sent the photos to Gavin, he pointed out the hook tip to the end of the antenna that confirmed it as Large Skipper. The first confirmed Hilbre record since 1987! 

Although relatively quiet for birds the Sandwich Terns gave good views as they fished just off the north end and a squadron of greylag Geese treated us to a flyby.

Best of all, from my point of view, was the reappearance, albeit distantly, of the Black Guillemot thats been hanging around recently. Only my 2nd ever sighting on Hilbre and the first was only a couple of months ago!