First visit to RSPB Leighton Moss yesterday, of course Beardies were top of the list. Not much action on the grit trays late morning and early afternoon, but plenty moving around the reedbeds. 2 curlew sand and 2 spotshanks from Morecambe Bay to finish

First attempt at an after dark walk looking for snipe and co, rewarded with 1 woodcock, 2 snipe and a barn owl at Gowy Meadows NR Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Woodcock photo from Jan this year as it was too wet this evening to try! Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society

Safe to say the Slavonian grebe showed well at West Kirby Marine Lake this evening. A bird I've seen a fair few times but never had the chance to get nice and low to show it off properly. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

Great to see my first Risso's dolphins on Sunday from PointLynasLighthouse. No breaching whilst we were there but good views of at least 2 milling about, also lots of gannets passing, a few razorbills and a couple red-throated divers. North Wales Wildlife Trust

Great morning at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands today. Failed quiet on the scrapes but plenty still to see. A kestrel by the visitor centre entertained me as well as the cronking ravens and small birds visiting the feeder. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

Slavonian grebe at West Kirby Marine Lake continued to show very well this morning, clearly getting more used to people and just carrying on it's own business. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

An after dusk walk last night for snipe, jacks and woodcock wasn't very successful as I quickly got distracted by quite a few (10 in total!) natterjack toads out on the path at Red Rocks NR Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Similar posts to everyones in the NW at the moment, some seawatching, Leach's first! 7:15-12:45 this morning at New Brighton and Leasowe Gunsite, personal totals 9 Leach's, 1 manx, 1 bonxie (flew within 6ft of me!), 2 little gulls, 2 brent, 1 gannet. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

Some of the supporting cast to the Leach's petrels. The bonxie popped over the seawall right in front of me, passing by within 6ft, not quite enough time for me to react before it was flying away. The manx did better in the wind than the petrels, still struggling! Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society

Something a little different this evening, was waiting for some pinkies to fly in front of the very full moon, but none played game. Thankfully, this little songster was still out and I managed to line up Mr Robin in front of the moon, happy with how it turned out! Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society

Moved closer to the coast, but need to stop by the Midlands for rare waders! Whilst heading south on Sunday I stopped at Eyebrook and Hollowell reservoirs in the pouring rain for two previously dipped species, pectoral sandpiper and american golden plover.

Some of the waders closer to home, West Kirby Marine Lake, last week. A lot of the waders there end up used to the constant passing of people, which gives a great chance for some nice close views. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

A bird I knew would be much easier to tick after moving up North, Willow tit! Had a showy individual at Pennington Flash visiting the feeds for over an hour yesterday. Plenty of time to see the diagnostic features versus their similar cousins

A nice supporting cast with the Willow tit at Pennington Flash with a fair few common garden birds, these characterful nuthatches were the stars for me.

A quality bird this morning at Shotwick Boating Lake, a long-tailed duck! Even though views were only through the perimeter fence, she did the kind thing and swam a little closer whilst we watched. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

I have been taught well in the nocturnal ways by Thomas Gibson, tonight revealed 1 woodcock, 1 jack, 16 cmn snipe, 4 fieldfare snoozing in the middle of a field, harvest mice and many other rodents at Gowy Meadows. Now to find where the jacks roost in the day Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society

Definitely not a showy bird, but at least I managed to get a decent view of it on a quick lunch return to Leasowe Lighthouse today. The yellow-browed warbler was still in exactly the same bush as yesterday, even calling a bit more today Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society Wirral Bird Club

Some more common birds, but still little stars. A bossy wren telling me to move on and a blue tit visiting our very autumnal Oak in the garden. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society

Some winter visitors at Gowy Meadows NR during the week, whoopers over, loads of fieldfare tucking into berries and common snipe numbers building. Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society

I'm pretty sure the first picture is a Blackbird and the second one some sort of Swiss Auklet?