Dear Readers, winter might be drawing in apace (at least in the UK), but one great pleasure of the darker months is the arrival of winter visitors. How many can you identify? There are so many beautiful birds that I’ve included 16 photos this week.

I have only included species that, according to my Crossley ID guide, are winter migrants only, with no resident or breeding populations (at least at the moment). So catch them while you can! A visit to your local wetlands centre or marsh certainly seems in order.

If you want to be ‘marked’, answers need to be in the comments by 5 p.m.(UK time) on Thursday 29th October. If you don’t want to be influenced by those who have gone before, write your answers down on a scrap of paper first.

Choose your answer from the list below. So, if you think the bird in Photo One is a ruddy turnstone, your answer is 1) a)

Good luck, and may the fowls be with you!

a) Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

b) Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

c) Knot (Calidris canutus)

d) Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

e) Brent Goose (Banta bernicla)

f) Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus)

g) Smew (Mergellus albellus)

h) Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)

i) Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)

j) Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

k) Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima )

l) Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)

m) Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)

n) Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer)

o) Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

p) Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla)