Crosby coastguards,
With the recent easterlies and a south easterly today I thought I would try my luck on the Merseyside coast. Seaforth had 4/5 chiffchaffs but not much else on the migrant front so I moved on up the coast to Coastguards. There is a clump of sycamores that always looks like it could have a decent migrant or two in the right conditions. Today a tree pipit , a few chiffchaffs, 2 whitethroats were decent birds .
Best bird though was a Hippo warbler that gave brief but good views . It was not enough to clinch which spiecies it was. Initial views said hippo instantly but it was not the bright yellow/green spring type bird but a rather plain brownish colour on the upper parts and just off whiteish underparts . A prominent pale eyering on a very plain face with no obvious supercillium . The wings were plain with no wing bars or no obvious pale panel as in icky. I probably watched it well for about 10 seconds before it flew to another sycamore and never saw it again despite searching for another hour.


I must admit I was not sure about this bird in the field but when I got home and looked in 'Collins' ,1st winter melodious warbler was a perfect match to the bird I had been watching. No photos, single observer and brief views, this will probably be one that got away.....


20 pinkfeet over the golf course reminded me that winter was not far away.