Third quarterly round-up

Yellow wagtail, Helsby

A grim, wet and grisly Spring and early Summer drifted into a grim, wet and grisly late Summer and early Autumn. The small birds seemed most affected, with most of the scrubby parkland warblers packing it in early in August. Despite that I've played a bit of catch-up both with birds and locations though I'm still feeling a bit behind in the game. I've had a bit of an explore of the Fylde and South Yorkshire, looked at a few places in Lancashire and Wigan and had a nibble at the edge of the Nottinghamshire border. Along the way I've added wryneck, long-eared owl, black-winged pratincole and Wilson's phalarope to the life list and dipped on Hudsonian godwit at Flint and all manner of unusual warblers at Bempton. I'm feeling a bit better now about waders though Temminck's stints, pectoral sandpipers and spotshanks have eluded me.

Starlings, Crosby Beach

September felt like a scrappy month, most of the additions to the year list being by chance rather than judgement, and it feels like the rest of Autumn's going to be similar. I don't mind unpredictability so long as I get the occasional nice surprise along the way.

Ruddy shelducks, Widnes

The year list stands at 202, the British List at 307.

Three-quarter year totals for the BTO recording areas:

• Caernarfonshire 25
• Cheshire and Wirral 111
• Cumbria 82
• Denbighshire 19
• Derbyshire 57
• Flintshire 36
• Greater Manchester 124
• Lancashire and North Merseyside 152
• Nottinghamshire 7
• Shropshire 24
• Staffordshire 28
• Yorkshire 86

No predictions as to what I'll be seeing for the rest of the year but I've my fingers crossed for a few species I missed last Winter.

Juvenile great tit, Stretford