There have been reports on the internet recently of a female/juvenile Smew, and 3 very obliging Water Rail at Aldcliffe, just outside Lancaster, so I set off this morning at 7am on a quest to see them for myself.

I arrived at 8.30am. It was a cold and overcast morning with a chilly breeze, but by 11am the sun was shinning through and it turned into a glorious, warm day.

Walking through Freemans Woods there were many Great tits, Blue tits, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens and...

I spent a freezing cold 3hrs at Marton Mere this morning after I'd fininshed work. It was very quiet, I didn't see any other birders and only a couple of walkers.

The sun was shining and it was glorious morning - but no good for birding! By the time I'd walked the length of the mere to the east, my eyes were streaming and I had sun blindness - no point searching the tree tops here.

On the way back it was much better, with the sun behind me, it was actually quite warming...

I decided on the spur of the moment to pay a visit to Leighton Moss this morning and so got the 6.30 train from Blackpool to Silverdale, arriving just before 8am.

It was incredibly cold and there was a white frost everywhere which lasted well into the day. That aside, it was a beautifuly sunny, crisp and clear day, but best of all - hardly any wind!

I began my visit at the Allen and Eric Morcambe hides and on the walk down saw many Chaffinches, a Goldfinch, several Long-tailed...

I took my kit with me to work last night so that when I got off duty this morning, I could get straight over to Stanley Park.

It was lovely, the sunrise over the golf course was mesmerising, with swirling banks of mist low on the ground and up in the trees and a white frost on the fairway - my favourite time of day I think.

It was bloody cold though and this being Valentines day, it wasn't exactly, 'love is in the air', but more like the distinct whiff of Vics vapour...

I've just paid a visit to the West Midlands to see my family and took some time to myself to pay another visit to the RSPB reserve; Sandwell Valley.

It had been snowing over night and the trains were running erratically. It took a little over 3 hours for me to get to the reserve, arriving just after noon.

It was very quiet, I only saw two other birders, perhaps the weather had kept everyone away - not so the birds, fortunately.

As soon as I went through...