Why is it that for every 1 half decent photo taken, there are 700 others that are just blurred out of focus smudgies .... because you're a birder, not a photographer!!! Here's today's viable ones

Some of today's delights - my first Lesser Whitethroat of 2026, seen briefly and heard singing, 2 Whitethroat, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff, and Blackcap in numbers, White Wagtail, 4 Swift, 3 Parakeet, Common Sand and several Peacock butterfly

Well, if carslberg did Thursdays, today would be it. White Stork, 2 - 1st Winter Little Gull, BN grebe, and I got to the semi-finals at darts tonight but then got knocked out 1 -2!!! Undercard magic .... What a day! I hope tomorrow is quieter, as I can't cope with all this excitement.

Well, well, while out locally this morning, I never expected a White Stork to fly over my back garden as I arrived home ... It might be classed as Cat E, but wow!!!! Also 2 Curlew, Oystercatcher, 5 ChiffChaff, 3 Blackcap, 2 Willow Warbler, Buzzard, Kestrel, Skylark and 7 Mipits

What a day today! If Carslberg did Fridays!!! drenched in pouring rain this morning and then dried out in glorious sunshine this afternoon. Self found 2 Avocet 💥 then the Smew, 31 Goldeneye. Kittiwake, Common Scoter, and a Wheatear later to top of a productive day .... time for Guiness, me thinks

Birding by bike at lunchtime, Rindle Road/Astley Moss. 2 RL Part, 7 Buzzard, 19 Stock Dove, 2 Skylark, 3 Tree Sparrow, 3 Mipits, Stonechat, and Pheasents galore!!!

First day of 2026 when it was clear, bright, and warm ... no big coat needed ☀️ always a blessing and a BN Grebe as the star of the show

What a cracking day today, Elton, as ever provided. Best of the bunch - Common Scoter, Fox, Weasel, and watervole ... I haven't had a Watervole here since the mid-1980s, so that's forty odd years. It's absolutely amazing. Photos by Simon Warford and Paul Wilson

Shelduck (F) at Elton today, Slav grebe still present, a showy Cetti, Stonechat, and at least 12 Goldeneye plus many usuals

Testing out the new toy, quite impressed, although max Zoom is a waste of time 🔭

Yes pal

Nice!!! I really need to pop over. I've not been up there yet this year, pal.

Lunch date with the WFG

A reseanably quiet day, Slavonian grebe, Little Owl calling, Curlew, and stunning Goldeneye, shame the weather is dull and drizzly.

Dull, overcast, drizzly, and dark, but I went back to Elton at lunchtime today for a few photos of my own

A stunning Shorelark showed off very well (eventually) at Mow Cop this morning. The photos are slightly out of focus, probably due to the mist and low light conditions, but still a good effort 👌 then called at Elton for the Slav on the way home

Greater Scaup, 1st Winter Drake (advanced), terrible light conditions, but at least a couple of shots are acceptable

Somedays make very memorable moments. Stood in a spot silently from dark at a local(ish) site. At dawn, I heard a splash, turned, and spotted 2 brown colour torpedoes under the water ... Otter!!!, they surfaced and quickly swam, along the shore behind the brambles, blocking my view 🤩🦦🦦 WOW!!!

Lovely American Wigeon at Myerscough Quarry yesterday morning, not bad views, but the weather was dull and absolutely atrocious, so taking actually photos with the P1000 was a waste of time

Jack Snipe today thanks to the sharp eyed @simonjohnno.bsky.social also Little Egret, 7 Gadwall, 101 Tufted, 39 Teal, 50 ish Pink Feet high NW, 9 Common Gull, Tawny Owl, Sparrowhawk, 2 Willow Tit, 7 RN parakeet and a nice grey wagtail best of the rest.

Happy New Year, I hope the birding pays off for all in 2026. Im not aiming to do a GM list 2026, I have done for the last 3 years (171 - 2025, 178 - 2024 and 172 - 2023). Unless new to me turns up in GM, then I'm just sticking to local patch and new for North West region ... got to have some goals 😉

HOM this morning, Spot Red, Ringtail & Marsh Harrier, Merlin, Buzzard, 6 Gold Plov, 1000's Pink Feet, 100's Blackwits, Redshank and Lapwings, Snipe and a Common Sand plus 48 Whooper and all I managed to photograph was a Barn Owl and a TreeSparrow 🤷‍♂️

Cracking morning at Upper Thurnham, the 2 Bewicks are still showing brilliant. Although they're with 4 mute and not with the main body of Whooper, bonus Grey Plover and over 500 Wigeon plus many many Pink Feet, Blackwits, Redshank, Curlew, Gold Plover, Dunlin etc.

Dark bellied of unknown origin still at Kersal today, seemed quite tame - came within 20 feet, and not bothered about my presence in the least plus plenty of snipe too.

Handy tip: When out, dont forget your coat!!! At least it's not minus 1

It was awful light this afternoon, but a delightful LTD made for a great lunchtime mooch. Cheers, Andrew Makin, and Phil Rhodes for the refind 👍

On a day like today, when the rains are biblical, garden birding it is ....

This mornings mooch at Leasowe. highlights Lapland bunting, Snow Bunting, Brent Geese, 3 Turnstones, numerous Knot, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Redshank galore plus Mpipits and Linnets.

Annual high moors mooch for Twite as they begin to gather together before they bugger off for winter ... success 😀 also nice to see numbers have slightly improved this year (27 counted), also Linnet, Redpoll, Redwing, Fieldfare, mpipits and Red Grouse

I absolutely love my local moors this time of year, Ravens, Wheater, Stonechat galore, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrels, Mpipits, Green Woodpecker, and Little Owls are just some of the delights to be seen