Wednesday 30 August 2017

Weather : SW-3, warm and sunny

Migrants were on the move at the Lighthouse today. An early morning circuit of the coastal paddocks produced three Wheatear and a Spotted Flycatcher. By late afternoon the Spotted Flycatcher had moved on however Wheatears had increased to five. Several Warblers had arrived in the coastal hedges including 2 Chiffchaffs a single Willow Warbler and a single Whitethroat.

A good count of 24 Little Egret fed in the shallows just beyond the Lighthouse car park along with several young Grey Heron.

Other waders on the move today at the Lighthouse included 400 Dunlin, 33 Ringed Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 3 Black tailed Godwit and a single Knot.

Willow Warbler (Tim Kinch)

Wheatear (Tim Kinch)
 

Friday 25 August 2017

Weather: Warm , mainly cloudy , wind south west 5mph,

A mid morning circuit of the Lighthouse provided  regulars with some great birds, bird of the day was an adult Hobby that had the pick of over 200 Swallows on Park lane fortunately for the Swallows the Hobby left empty handed after chashing a Swallow and narrowly missed out on a kill hopefully with the abundance of hirundine the hobby will stick around before its journey south, 

The other highlight on Park Lane was a Grey Wagtail

Over the past few days a Juvenile Black Tern has been seen off hoylake and Hilbre, Today it was joined by an adult off Meols , (As of this evening 5 Black Tern  were in the tern roost at Hilbre Island ) 
Other Terns seen off  Meols were 150 Common Tern and 40 Little Tern,

2 Mediterranean Gulls One adult on the sand near dove point and a second year bird flew over one of the observers.

Waders in the area , 1 Greenshank  in the usual haunt of the western groyne, 5 Turnstone feeding at the bottom of the embankment the adults in the group were still in fine summer plumage, and 1400 Oystercatchers off the lighthouse before high tide, 

Passerines in the area , 8 Chiffchaff  2 Blackcap and a Common Whitethroat, 
Tuesdays Yellow Wagtail. David Haigh

Sunday 20 August 2017

Weather , mainly cloudy sunny intervals showers later , wind SW force 2.

With summer slowly fading into autumn a trickle of migrants are passing through at the Lighthouse on their way back to the winter haunts , the predicted strong winds from the Atlantic hurricane failed to materialise With Saturday being the better of the two days for a sea watch
                                                                                             Wheatear by Tim Kinch