Reality is an illusion caused by lack of alcohol

Back to reality after the exotica of Tenerife. No more daily jugs of Sangria or ice cold beers for breakfast, lunch and tea! Time to get down to some 'proper' birding. Hmmm. Not much around locally although a short drive to Frodsham on Sunday with Molly resulted in a moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper amongst the roosting waders on the Weaver. Mainly though it was dire with the only other signs of autumn passage being three Common Sandpipers and three fly over Yellow Wagtails.

Nice to see the local Ruddy Duck population has escaped the 'expert' shot of the hunters employed by DEFRA. I wonder what else they've shot whilst they had the oppurtunity - they shot a pair of Greater-black backed gulls at this site two years ago. This male was busy displaying to a nearby female. They're not known as stiff tails for nothing.

Even though autumn migration has officially started some birds are still busy raising young. This is one of several broods of Tufted Duck on the Weaver.

More locally good numbers of Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows are now congregating on recently harvested barley fields whilst a Nuthatch was a welcome addition to the garden list feeding on sunflower hearts.

Were off to Cornwall Saturday to join the Scillonian III for a day long pelagic starting Sunday morning (weather permitting). Ahh, the smell of chum and vomit! The wind directions not looking good for seawatching off the Wirral but a slight N W blow tomorrow might bring in an early Leach's Petrel into the Mersey mouth over high tide.

Theres been a record influx of Two-barred Crossbills into the UK over the last few weeks. Mostly in the Northern Isles. Hopefully some will remain until our Shetland expedition at the end of September and even better one may turn up in Cheshire as they gradually filter down through the country.