In late April I found good numbers of Wheatears, White Wagtails and Yellow Wagtails. White Wagtails are the continental form of our common Pied Wagtail, but as their name suggests, they are much paler, and they are only very rare breeders in Britain, usually in the Northern Isles of Orkney or Shetland. Yellow Wagtails were formerly common breeders throughout Britain, but they have undergone a rapid and alarming decline over the past few years, though a few pairs still breed on farmland around St.Helens.

On the 21^st May 2000, I was walking across the same farmland, when I became aware of a raptor being mobbed by Lapwings. My first thought was Buzzard, because they are frequent in the area, but on raising my binoculars, I was amazed to see what looked like a long tailed, slim bodied falcon. The bird flew right across my path, quite low down, at a distance of about 30 metres, mobbed by Lapwings, Oystercatchers and even a Yellow Wagtail! By now it was obviously a ‘ring-tail’ (female or immature) harrier.

As soon as I recognised it as a harrier, I was convinced that it was a Montagu’s, simply because of its generally slim outline, long wings and tail and the time of year. I watched the bird for a few minutes, before it turned away and headed north west, and was lost to view behind a stand of trees. I noted all its plumage features, and on returning home, confirmed that it was indeed a Montagu’s Harrier.

Co-incidentally, it was seen 30 minutes later by another birder over fields near Bickerstaffe, about two or three miles north west of the area at which I saw it. I was happy with the identification, but with such a difficult species, it is always nice to have it confirmed by a second observer!

Montagu’s Harriers are very rare breeders in Britain, and quite rare migrants, and this was only my second ever in Britain. However, they are relatively abundant in areas of southern Europe, and I have seen many in Portugal and Spain over the past two years. A very exciting find!

In June I was walking past the field with Ray Banks. We had already seen a few Painted Ladies, a migrant Butterfly, and Silver ‘Y’, a migrant moth, when suddenly I noticed a yellow butterfly flying over the field. Ray shouted ‘Clouded Yellow’ and then I saw its deep yellow wings with black edge, confirming the identification.

Clouded Yellows are always exciting migrants. They breed in southern Europe and reach our shores in variable numbers each year, but are usually most numerous at southern coastal sites. I have seen them before near Southport and at St. Bees Head in Cumbria, but this was my first in St. Helens.

Into late summer, and I had several sightings of Curlew in the field. Breeding quite commonly in moorland areas such as Bowland, and wintering on local estuaries, they are quite scarce migrants in St. Helens.

On 28^th August 2000, I was walking past the same field, when I heard a characteristic ‘tzeek tzeek’ overhead. I only caught a glimpse of a small brown bird flying over, but the call was enough to confirm the identification of a Tree Pipit.

Again these tend to breed in hilly wooded areas such as Bowland, but they are a summer visitor to the UK, and occasionally pass over St. Helens on migration. This was the second this year, the first being at Lea Green in April, and was only the 25^th ever recorded in the borough.

Not bad for an ordinary looking field on the edge of St. Helens!