Sunday 13 March 2016

13th March 2016

Weather: still air, then SE 1/2 warm and sunny
Stonechat (SRW)
A calm and beautiful morning brought plenty of early spring 'Hilbre specialities' including a brilliant male Stonechat on Middle Eye, 2 Woodpigeons, 2 Stock Doves, a Jackdaw, a Redwing, and best of all a Great Tit landing mid-morning in the obs garden briefly. Others making a visit were 2 Skylarks, 5 Starlings, 3 Grey and 10 Pied Wagtails, and for the first time this year 5 species of finch; 9 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Siskin, and 10 Linnets.
Woodpigeon (CJ)

Greenfinch (CJ)
Pheasant (CJ)
An elusive Goldcrest was in the old obs garden, but less than elusive was the most unlikely bird to appear this year (and the rarest in that sense, and only the third Hilbre record) in the shape of a male Pheasant that was positively tame and even posed on the roof of the buildings for a photo.
Wigeon (CJ)
Early in the morning 650 Pinkfeet Geese flew in 2 flocks out of the estuary towards the north, duck did not dissappoint either with 27 Wigeon, and 8 Teal  loafing around the island and a drake Eider and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea off to the north.
Ringed : 1 Blackbird, 1 Robin            [ 14-6 ]

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