Hilbre wildlife through the year

Grey seals on West Hoyle Bank most of the year, huge wader roosts on winter spring tides, and spring and autumn migrants passing through. Here’s what to look for each month.

This month · October

Skylarks, redwings and finches arrive overhead; brent geese build up; big wader roosts return.

Autumn migrants stream overhead: on 17 October 2026 the Observatory logged 92 skylarks, and redwings and fieldfares arrive from the north. Brent geese build up on the shore, with 308 on 17 October 2026. Wader roosts return, with about 5,000 knot and 7,500 oystercatchers on 20 October 2025. Offshore, common scoter and red-throated divers pass, and short-eared owls are sometimes seen.

Month by month

January
Huge oystercatcher and knot roosts, purple sandpipers on the rocks, brent geese along the shore.
Winter is when the high-tide wader roosts are at their best. Oystercatchers gather in the thousands, with knot and dunlin, and the Hilbre Bird Observatory counted about 12,000 oystercatchers on 31 January 2026. Purple sandpipers feed on the rocks and brent geese, including pale-bellied birds, feed along the shore. Offshore, look for common scoter, red-throated divers and goosanders.
Look for: Oystercatcher, Knot, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Brent Goose, Common Scoter, Red-throated Diver, Goosander
February
Big wader roosts continue; porpoises sometimes pass; first stonechats and chiffchaffs appear.
The roosts of oystercatchers, dunlin and knot carry on, and purple sandpipers are still feeding on the rocks. Harbour porpoises are sometimes seen passing; two were logged on 15 February 2026. Spring starts to show late in the month: in 2026 the first stonechats and a chiffchaff were recorded on 25 February, and rock pipits were displaying. Eiders and goosanders can turn up offshore.
Look for: Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Knot, Purple Sandpiper, Brent Goose, Goosander, Eider, Stonechat, Rock Pipit, Harbour Porpoise
March
First willow warblers, wheatears and Sandwich terns arrive; seals on West Hoyle.
Spring migrants begin to arrive. In 2026 the Observatory logged its first willow warbler and Sandwich tern on 21 March, wheatears on 22 March and a sand martin on 23 March, along with goldcrests and chiffchaffs. Purple sandpipers and pale-bellied brent geese are still around. Grey seals haul out on the West Hoyle bank; 102 were counted there on 23 March 2026.
Look for: Willow Warbler, Wheatear, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Purple Sandpiper, Brent Goose, Grey Seal
April
Sandwich terns pass offshore in the hundreds; whimbrel and wheatears stop off.
Terns arrive offshore: the Observatory logged about 350 Sandwich terns on 26 and 28 April 2026, with common and little terns and gannets. Whimbrel pass along the shore, and wheatears (including Greenland birds), willow warblers and whinchats stop to feed. Seawatchers may see the year's first Arctic skua, a Manx shearwater or, briefly, a puffin.
Look for: Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Gannet, Whimbrel, Wheatear, Willow Warbler, Whinchat, Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater
May
Ringed plovers, sanderling and dunlin pass through; painted ladies and spring flowers.
Waders pass through in numbers: ringed plovers, sanderling, dunlin and whimbrel feed on the shore, and 250 ringed plovers were counted on 25 May 2026. Little egrets can reach double figures. Painted lady butterflies arrive in some years, with over 100 on 15 May 2025, alongside common blues and damselflies. Thrift (sea pinks) can colour the islands in spring.
Look for: Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Little Egret, Sandwich Tern, Painted Lady, Common Blue, Thrift
June
Grey seals on West Hoyle, numbers highest in summer; Sandwich terns and Manx shearwaters offshore.
Grey seals haul out on the West Hoyle sandbank at low tide, and 180 were counted there on 22 June 2026; numbers are generally highest in summer. Sandwich terns fish offshore, and Manx shearwaters and gannets pass. Swifts can come through in numbers (64 on 22 June 2026). Friends of Hilbre run seal-watch days with telescopes from March to September.
Look for: Grey Seal, Sandwich Tern, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Common Scoter, Swift, Little Egret, Eider
July
Waders return to the shore, young Sandwich terns gather, and butterflies and dragonflies fly.
Waders are back on the shore: curlew, redshank, whimbrel and ringed plover were all recorded in July 2026. Sandwich terns built up to 240 on 22 July, including juveniles. Butterflies and dragonflies are easy to find, with about 500 red admirals on 13 July 2026, painted ladies, and five dragonfly species including ruddy darter. A pyramidal orchid flowered in a paddock.
Look for: Curlew, Redshank, Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Ruddy Darter
August
Black-tailed godwits and terns build up, first skuas pass offshore, seals on West Hoyle.
Late summer is busy. About 3,200 black-tailed godwits were counted on 27 August 2026, Sandwich terns reached 650 on 26 August, and 280 grey seals were on West Hoyle on 25 August. Arctic and pomarine skuas have been recorded offshore in August on westerly winds, and wheatears stop to feed. Sea spleenwort, a scarce fern, grows on the east cliffs.
Look for: Black-tailed Godwit, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater, Wheatear, Little Egret, Grey Seal, Sea Spleenwort
September
Westerly gales can bring Leach's petrels, skuas and shearwaters past; migrants on the move.
Strong westerly winds give the best seawatching. The Observatory logged 131 Leach's petrels on 20 September 2026 and 34 on 16 September 2025, with Manx shearwaters, skuas, gannets and kittiwakes. On land, chiffchaffs, wheatears and pipits pass through, and rarities turn up, such as a yellow-browed warbler on 26 September 2025 and a short-eared owl on 29 September 2026.
Look for: Leach's Petrel, Manx Shearwater, Arctic Skua, Gannet, Kittiwake, Chiffchaff, Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Short-eared Owl
October
Skylarks, redwings and finches arrive overhead; brent geese build up; big wader roosts return.
Autumn migrants stream overhead: on 17 October 2026 the Observatory logged 92 skylarks, and redwings and fieldfares arrive from the north. Brent geese build up on the shore, with 308 on 17 October 2026. Wader roosts return, with about 5,000 knot and 7,500 oystercatchers on 20 October 2025. Offshore, common scoter and red-throated divers pass, and short-eared owls are sometimes seen.
Look for: Brent Goose, Skylark, Redwing, Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Meadow Pipit, Oystercatcher, Knot, Common Scoter, Short-eared Owl
November
Knot, oystercatcher and dunlin roost in thousands; scoter offshore; purple sandpipers settle in.
The wader roosts are huge: about 6,000 knot were counted on 21 November 2025, with oystercatchers, dunlin and sanderling also in the thousands or hundreds. Up to about 2,250 common scoter were logged offshore on 26 November 2025, and red-throated divers and goosanders are regular. Purple sandpipers settle on the rocks, and whooper swans occasionally pass over.
Look for: Knot, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Brent Goose, Common Scoter, Goosander, Whooper Swan
December
Oystercatcher, dunlin and knot roosts peak; purple sandpipers, brent geese and divers.
Oystercatchers reached 11,500 on 5 December 2025, with dunlin and knot also in the thousands at high tide. Purple sandpipers (up to 15), brent geese (up to 400) and red-throated divers feed along the shore, and rarer birds such as snow and Lapland buntings pass over. Merlins and peregrines are seen hunting among the waders. Grey seals are present, though fewer than in summer.
Look for: Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Knot, Purple Sandpiper, Brent Goose, Red-throated Diver, Snow Bunting, Merlin, Grey Seal

Watching wildlife at Hilbre

Roosts form as the tide covers the sands, which is also when the route is under water. Never stay out on the sands to watch them, and plan your walk within today’s calculated window. Follow the Dee Lane noticeboard and the RNLI advice on the route and safety page.
Keep well back from seals and keep dogs on short leads. Grey seals mostly haul out on the West Hoyle sandbank, away from the island, so a telescope or binoculars is the best way to watch them.
Stay on the paths, do not pick plants or disturb roosting birds, and give wading and resting birds space, especially in winter.
Rough weather and strong winds are when seabirds pass, and they make the walk harder. Do not let a rarity tempt you to stay out longer than the window allows.

Wildlife guides

Seals, birds and brent geese at Hilbre →

Sources

Compiled from Hilbre Bird Observatory, Friends of Hilbre and the other sources below. Sightings vary year to year, and the dated counts are single-day records, not typical figures. Last checked 20 October 2026.