Can you text me cos I'm having a humongous cr*p.

Incredulous disbelief perhaps is the best way to describe feelings last week when news came from Fair Isle that a male Citril Finch (potentially a first for Britain) had been found. A few lucky Shetland inhabitants made the trip over and the next day a couple of charters from the mainland made it. Then the weather closed in. Meanwhile debate raged on Internet forums over the possible misidentification of a Canary or if the bird was an escape. Now why would an escaped captive Citril Finch decide to fly all the way to Fair Isle? A lot of pseudo science was spouted whilst missing the main point – if Wallcreeper & Alpine Accentor can make it to the UK, both essentially sedentary birds, why couldn’t a Citril Finch? News that the bird had been caught and rung and showed no sign of ever being in captivity shut up some of the doubters and cracks began to appear in the resolve of some to try and ignore this bird.

It was whilst in the dentist that ‘Statto’ texted me with the immortal lines that he was organising a charter flight. Was I in or out? Could I let him know by text cos he was currently having a humungous crap. I was in! The weather looked bad and we waited until our pilot, Denis (what a super star) rang us to say he reckoned we were OK to fly! Unbelievably we were on.

Next morning saw Jono, Fred Fearn & myself meet up at 05.45 before heading towards Hull and our flight to Fair Isle. News came through from Jason Atkinson that the bird was still present at the same time as Jono got the news from the Observatory. We were off!

Strapped in and raring to go we bounced along the grass runway and were soon airborne. 3 hours later we bumped onto Fair Isle in a 20-knot crosswind but beautiful blue skies. Met by warden Derek Shaw we bundled into his people carrier and he took us to where the bird had last been seen that morning. No sign. Derek walked off to check another area whilst Fred & I left Jono checking one of its haunts whilst we checked the ploughed field nearby. Within seconds we both picked it up on call and swung round to see it perched on a gate. Whistling Jono we all experienced a feeling of massive relief - CITRIL FINCH OML/UTB. Even pilot Denis, intrigued by our obvious enthusiasm, seemed as happy as we were. He admired our passion. Everyone, he said, has to have a passion. His was flying. Ours was birds. Top man. All to quickly it flew off. We let Derek know and he came back rattling his tin – everyone getting a new bird on Fair Isle is expected to contribute. We happily obliged. Another forty minutes passed with Jono & Fred exploring different areas whilst I wandered around the same area.we'd previosuly seen it in. Suddenly as I was talking to one of the locals and Denis I heard the finch again and picked it up in flight before it landed close to drink from a ditch before preening on a fence and then dropping into the ploughed field to feed.

Ringing the others I fired off a load of shots whilst struggling to hand hold the camera in the still quite high winds. This time we were treated to a full forty minutes viewing until a squall forced the finch to fly off. Denis proved a useful guy to have around as he negotiated an invite for us all into a local croft for coffee and biscuits until the rain passed.

With news from Derek that there was an Iccterine Warbler nears the Obs we set off slowly stopping to admire point blank Arctic Skua and the ever present Bonxies. The Iccterine was hard to see and we contented ourselves with flight views and the briefest of views as it occasionally perched up as our deadline for leaving was fast approaching.

With Fred & I snoozing in the back it was left to 1st officer Jono to assist with the navigating and we briefly landed at Wick to refuel before arriving back in Yorkshire after a much quicker return flight as we had a tail wind all the way. An epic twitch and made all the more enjoyable through our pilots expertise.

Citril Finch, Fair Isle.

Potentially a first for the UK. Caught & rung - no sign of cpativity. Hmmm. Shall I stay or shall I go...............................................................

Ley lines and magentic fields.

Thats my theory as to why so many rarities seem to bypass us! Last week it was a Wilson's Phalarope that ended up just a couple of miles across the other side of the Mersey at Seaforth high security detention centre for ship-assisted illegal immigrants. The Llyn Peninsula scored with a singing Icterine Warbler and even inland counties such as Herts & Cambs have had singing Iccies this weekend. Something in the earths magnetism centred on the Wirral must be causing this discrepancy!

The point is local birding has been dire over the last week. Everynight I've been out with nothing to show except a single Common Tern carrying a fish and heading towards N Wales - I have no idea where it was fishing! - and a singing Lesser Whitethroat. Some relief was provided by a quick business trip to Liverpool that enabled me to peer through the fence at the male Wilson's Phalarope.

Due to the presence of teenage morons next door having a party whilst their parents were away we didn't get much sleep Friday. 5 am they eventually packed in despite repeated requests to keep the noise down and shut the f**k up. That screwed my birding up Saturday as I had intended to walk across to Hilbre. A slight N W breeze may have brought a couple of Manxies or Storm Petrels closer. Instead I thrashed the local patch(s) again. Some success though as I found a Sparrowhawks nest in Stanney. Star bird was an adult (male?) pale phase Honey Buzzard that headed N near the end of the M56 giving superb flight views as it alternately flapped and glided overhead before eventually being pursued out of sight by the local Common Buzzards. The Wirral does seem to be a fly-through route for migrating raptors.

This spring has been superb for Thrush Nightingales. They've been seen on Shetland, Spurn & Portland. News that one had turned up at Dunwich Heath wasn't unexpected. This site is, after all, on the East Coast. The fact it stayed for the weekend was unexpected. I succumbed on Sunday and went down with Dan Pointon & Malc Curtin and was eventually treated to great views as the bird sang in full view for 5 -10 minutes. So close you could even see its tonsils! Its many years since I last saw one of these Eastern Nightingales so good views like these were much appreciated.

Garden birds doing OK with 1st juv Goldfinches and Greenfinches visiting the feeders. Most of the young Bluetits were predated with 5 sad little piles of feathers on the lawn. Magpies appear t obe the culprit. The Robins obviously nested nearby as several spotted youngsters are hopping about whilst a Wren is on eggs in a nest above the porch.

Desert Finch comes up Trumps

Phew. 1st message on the pager Monday morning around 07.30 was to tell the birding fraternity the Trumpeter Finch was still at Blakeney. A quick decision was made, after a nanosecond hesitation, to carry on to my meeting in Burnley and then head off down the M6 afterwards. Stopping only to pick up Mark Payne on the M6 the day before his honeymoon and we were off.

Slogging miles across the shingle banks of Blakeney was no fun lugging a camera and tripod in the bright sunshine but we arrived at the right spot expecting a crowd. We found no one! Mark found the Trumpeter Finch showing well but probably 70 m away and aware of the message to stay away from the breeding birds nearby we didn't risk getting any closer.

After events contrived to ensure I missed the mini influx of 2005 I was pretty amazed to get one on my British list so soon after. Happy smiles all round and I dropped the newly wed Groucho back home to do his packing around 21.30.

Cranes and Paynes.

Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Payne who got married yesterday. We had a fantastic day even though it meant I wasn't able to make it down to Norfolk this morning for the Trumpeter Finch! Those guys from RBA were spot on with their prediction for June. The 2nd Trumpeter Finch this year although last weeks bird was not really gettable being somewhere on a lump of rock 40 miles north of the Butt of Lewis.

Thursday saw me cadging a ride over to Hilbre again in an attempt to make it three weeks in a row that I'd managed a big bird for Cheshire on this island. No such luck but we did get to see summer plumaged Sanderling - an unusual plumage!

With a good fall of migrants on the east coast including a number of Iccterine & Marsh Warblers we hoped one would turn up on the Wirral but despite much searching nothing was found. Two Common Cranes in Shropshire were distant but photographable and a good record away from Norfolk. I've still to see one of these birds in Cheshire.

Red Kites & Skuas

Flushed with success after last Wednesday's Bluethroat Hilbre produced the goods again Thursday with a probable Montagu's Harrier looming out of the early morning mist. Unfortunately I wasn't there to see it! Thursday did result i nsome success though as a meeting in Leeds gave me an oppurtunity to divert down the M6 in search of a long staying Red Kite near Nantwich. I dfidn't actually have to that far as a Red Kite appeared alongside the A53 west of J18 on the M6 before dropping down into a wooded area. According to reports else where 2 birds were seen nearby at Nether Alderley near Macclesfield and one over the M6 in the same area on the same day as I saw mine. Could these be the bird(s) that have been seen regularly in the Alsager, Crewe, Nantwich triangle?

Easterly winds over the last few days again filled us with hope the Wirral might turn up the goods. Unfotuntately the wind has been so strong most self respecting birds have been hunkering down in deep cover.

The LBO team of Conlin, Duff & Woollen spent quite a few hours either drinking tea at the cafe or siutting on 'Honey Buzzard' bench over looking the paddocks and sea over the weekend. I though I'd got an Arctic Skua Friday but it was to far out in the heat haze. Problem solved Saturday when Allan spotted one careering west quite close in shore.

What the Fc*k is that!

And so the words of the Secretary of the Hilbre Island Bird Observatory have been immortalised on the Worldwide web! What prompted such an outburst? Well I will tell you.

With S E Winds blowing all week and Bluethroats being seen on Bardsey and Aberdeen the weather conditions looked promising for a rarity on Hilbre so I rang Steve Williams and cadged a lift in the Landrover at 06.30 this morning along with Colin Jones, Pete & Doreen Williams.

Plenty of hirundines were moving and the first round of the heligoland traps produced a Spotted Flycatcher and a couple of Willow Warblers - a good sign. We had just finished our first cup of tea of the day made by the incomparable Doreen when I spotted an unusual looking bird perched up on the highest point of the island to the south of the Obs. Just its head was showing and calling Steve we both looked looked at it umming and aghhing, or in Steves case swearing ' what the fc*k is that. Look at the super on it'. At that point the bird dived into deep cover and calling the others we made our way towards where it had disappeared. Steve muttered something about a Rubythroat whilst I suggested, partially out of hope, Bluethroat!

Walking slowly through the bracken the bird suddenly flew low in front of us. Pete Williams was probably the first to yell 'Bluethroat' as the bird shot passed him, giving us all a good view of its distinctive tail pattern and veered across to the pond. The bird soon got moved on by the local Meadow Pipits and returned to for whatever will be known as 'Bluethroat Ridge'

The news was put out and local birders informed. Mark Turner & Allan Conlin were two of the first to arrive.Then began a game of hide and seek as the bird defied all attempts to get much detail on it. Initially we thought it wasa 1st summer male, then and adult female..................

Eventually the problem was solved when the bird flew through the Obs garden and got caught in the bottom shelf of a mist net. Red-spotted Bluethroat. 1st summer male!!!!!!

Added excitement was provided by an Osprey between Hilbre & Point of Ayr getting mobbed by large gulls. The good news is that the Bluethroat stayed on the Island and was seen by a number of visiting birders including Frank Duff who managed to get back from Belfast in time!!!