Unfortunately, it was on a farm, in the middle of the foot and mouth crisis, with nowhere for even small numbers of cars to park. 

We were able to gain limited access to see the bird, but were unable to persuade the owner to allow us to put out the news to the general birding public. 

The Hoopoe spent much of its time feeding in a small muddy paddock, occasionally flying up into nearby trees. On several occasions it showed really well and some video footage was acquired with a couple of record photo shots being taken. It was seen by a small number of lucky birders who were mainly friends of the farm owner or members of the Wildlife Recording Group.

The bird was present until the 7th April, after which the belated news was put out onto the pager systems. This was only the second known record of Hoopoe for St Helens, the first amazingly was in the North Goyt woodlands in the spring of 1984, which is viewable from the farm were the second bird was seen.

This distinctive Eurasian species which is recorded annually in Britain, spends much of its time on the ground, feeding on worms and other insects where it can be difficult to observe, but in flight it is unmistakable, with spectacular black and white wings, pink mantle, head and breast. When the bird lands, it often raises its black tipped, pink crest. It also has a very distinctive call.

On 3rd April, a dead Kestrel was reported to a member of our group, who had earlier seen the Hoopoe. The Kestrel had been found in Newton and had a ring on its leg, which eventually proved that it had been ringed in the nest as a chick on 4th July 1999 in Ylikiiminki, which is near Oulu (on the Baltic Coast) 300 miles north of Helsinki, Finland.

Most British Kestrels are resident, but they are joined in winter by immigrants from Scandinavia, escaping the harsh winters there.

To complete a very exceptional day in St Helens, later the same day, the same member of our group also saw 17 Waxwings in bushes on the roadside verge of the Linkway near McDonalds. This species breeds in Northern Europe, and only reaches Britain in large numbers in invasion years when its food supply of berries runs out on the continent. They tend to favour town centres, but can be mobile and difficult to catch up with, even when you know that they are present. 2001 was an exceptional year for records of Waxwings in our area.

Not a bad days birding for St Helens. You would have been forgiven if you thought you were in another country.