The boys done good. Yankee doodle dandy.

No not a reaction to last nights footall result in Ukraine as frankly the boys done crap.

The weekend started quietly with a few hours spent at Leasowe Lighthouse being unproductive apart from a pair of Sparrowhawks. As the title of the blog says; 'if this was the east coast we'd be knee deep in rarities'. The interaction between the Sparowhawks was interesting with the larger female chasing off the male. Both birds were getting mobbed by the local corvids but only the female retaliated making a pass at a Carrion Crow and forcing it to hit the deck rapidly.

Another early start this morning heralded another trip to Hilbre but not before I'd demolished last nights cold samosa's for breakfast! Unfortuntely the brisk westerlies meant we didn't get much although a Song Thrush was a new arrival on the Island. Back home, with the chores carried out and the rest of yesterdays Chicken Korma in the microwave for lunch, I took a call from Mr Conlin and hesitating only to finish off the scalding curry  set off for the birding deserts of the N Wirral coast. Only this time there was a bit of excitement.............................

A fruitless search along Lingham Lane with Allan & Mark Turner culminated in Al & I going for a cuppa and Bakewell tart at the cafe leaving Mark to explore the pony paddocks alone. All we had to show for our endeavours was a solitary Redwing. 6 Dunnocks, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail and a handful of finches.

As soon as he pulled up in the car park Al picked up a juvenile Little Gull roosting on the grass with the local Black-heads. Things were definitley improving.

With the healthy theme to the weekends diet continuing and a cup of tea to wash down the tart things were looking a lot rosier when the resident adult Med Gull turnedup to pose for the camera. Leaving Al enjoying his tea sat outside I moved towards the roosting gulls to get close up and personnel with Mervyn the Med Gull.

Suddenly I was aware of a disyllabic call overhead that seemed vaguely familiar. It took a moment for the brain to register I'd last heard that call two weeks ago on Orkney. AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. One of those 'Oh shit, I hope I'm not he only person to hear it' moments. Not wishing to make a complete pratt of myself I ran over to where Al was sitting. He'd also heard the call and picked the bird up in his binoculars flying away from us. I managed to see it with the naked eye as I'd left my binoculars in the Landrover. For a moment neither of us quite knew what to do but aftera brief discussion the news was broadcast and within minutes a disgruntled Mark pulled into the car park.

With the bird heading off N E it was bound to arrive at the Meersey where it could have ended up going upstream towards Frodsham or out of the estuary towards Seaforth. A quick call to one of the Seaforth crew and about an hour later I had a phone call from Al to say it had been seen briefly on the causeway and all the relevant plumage features had been noted. Sorted.

Finally, continuing the recent theme of late butterflies, this tatty looking Small Copper graced Leasowe Common.