6th January 2015

Weather : NW force 6/7 early morning with driving rain.
Sea watching conditions produced 7 Red-throated Divers, 10 Great Crested Grebes, 5 Guillemots and 180 Common Scoter. The best sightings however were a single female Goldeneye moving south and a female Goosander flying north. Seven Wigeon, which are a more regular duck species at Hilbre, were flying north. Between the north shore and the east hoyle today were an estimated 5,000 Herring Gulls, 8,000 Knot, 200 Grey Plover and 300 Curlew, while nearer the islands were 180 Turnstones in Niffy bay, also 3 Purple Sandpipers, 60 ringed Plover, 35 Sanderling and 30 Redshank. A Rock Pipit and a Linnet were among the few passerines on the island.
(DB)