Where do I start? After a good lie-in after a night shift, Allan Conlin phoned me to say that a wreck had been found on the North Wirral coast, so I got myself ready and soon arrived on site. The bird was very flighty, but we eventually got onto it and it sat in the bottom of a bush. After good views, me and Allan decided to do a seawatch off Meols promenade. After setting up our scopes, we soon connected with our first Leach's pets of the year and then a Black Tern. When Allan got onto a bird and his words were “OH SHIT, I replied, what have you got? He replied, LITTLE SHEARWATER." I got on the bird straight away; I couldn’t believe my eyes, watching as the bird passed us. This was an amazing sight and I was in a state of shock! Thankfully Allan had only seen this species a few weeks ago in Lanzarote so I was so glad he was standing birding with me and picked the bird up as I was on the phone at the time being interrupted by work,Allan was constantly going through the jizz of the bird as it flew past us! What a day and one i'll never forget!
Me And Al After Our Great Find
There have been numerous sightings of Little Shearwater in the Uk, but if accepted, this will only be the second record for Cheshire and Wirral, the last one being in 1977, June 29th to July 2nd, which was there for 4 days at Rostherne Mere, but everyone thought it was a Manx Shearwater until it became sick on the 29th June. It was then caught on the 2nd July and died on the 3rd July, P. a. baroli, and is now at Manchester Museum
