25th May 2015

Weather: NW 3, 6/8 cloud sunny intervals

Birding took a back seat today for many reasons (only partly the weather)...

First up the three Queens met up in the mouth of the Mersey and all three were visible from the island albeit in the haze.

Next up it was the Red Arrows heading for the party over the Mersey (poor back of camera shot above).

Then came the dramatic rescue of a man who had ended up in the sea by rocks on the West Side just by Ladies Cave as the tide was rising.

The RNLI lifeguards, who had discovered the man, stayed in the water with him as he was in severe pain from injuries from his fall.

Both West Kirby and Hoylake lifeboats attended quickly and crew members were landed to provide casualty care and equipment.

A decision was made quickly to get him out of the water onto a level board and a joint effort of RNLI lifeguards, RNLI boat crew (with some assistance from the Obs Sec and Dr F Cox from the Cox's bungalow) he was put onto a stretcher and moved above the rising tide from where he was given further medical attention, blankets from the Obs were fetched and paramedics arrived and soon after the RAF sea-king helicopter arrived and airlifted the casualty from the rocks below Wheatear Hill.

A tremendous team effort by the brave men and women of the RNLI & RAF services.  A reminder to all how dangerous the islands can be and what a great job these people do.

We all hope that the casualty recovers and our thoughts are with him, his family and friends.

Footage from @RNLIHoylake can be seen here: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/watch-new-footage-rnli-teams-9333217

With the airlift videoed from inside the Obs (by CLW) as the top of the island had to be cleared to avoid the RAF sea-king's down draft:

http://youtu.be/Fi26_Az1Ulw

Back on the island birding had been quiet  with only 3 House Martins and a few Swallows to show on the migrant front and wader numbers were lower again than in recent days but everyone was distracted by the day's events.

A single Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly was in the West Side garden of Telegraph House and hundreds (probably thousands?) of Garden Tiger caterpillars still roamed particularly the South End of the island.

(SRW et al (from over))