At home in my adopted county.

I'm not originally from Cheshire but have made it my home and an enthusiastic local birder! All good birders should work a local patch and become immersed in birding within the county they live in. Hence my dedication to the Wirral & Cheshire. Its a great county to live in for birding and something suprising is always just around the corner - like these Eider off the N Wirral coast yesterday afternoon. Found by me and twitched by Mr Conlin. Superb!

Plenty of other birds around with Red-throated Diver & Razorbill being the best. Good numbers of Great-crested Grebes and Common Scoter were on the sea but no sign of any summer migrants in the paddocks around Leasowe Common & Lighthouse. Surmising the overnight conditions and early morning drizzle were likely to result in at least some grounded migrants I was up and out early this morning. Sure enough I found a immaculate male Wheatear feeding in pastures along the Birkett. The first of the year. Star bird however was a summer plumaged Water Pipit with a flock of 50+ Meadow Pipits in the fields opposite Park Lane Caravan site. My first summer plumaged bird for many a year..................

Earlier in the week I was able to catch up with a Night Heron at Mere Sands Wood lnr, Lancs. This bird is being touted as perhaps being of the N American race. Hmm. Can't see it myself.