A BOOK covering rare and scarce birds in Wirral and Cheshire has come second in the Best Bird Book of the Year award.

Rare and Scarce Birds of Cheshire & Wirral was written by local bird enthusiast and member of the Hilbre Bird Observatory Allan Conlin and Eddie Williams.

Last month, Allan appeared on Countryfile when presenters Matt Baker and Ellie Harrison visited Cheshire and Wirral.

On the programme Allan spoke about how he had been visiting Hilbre Island since he was 13 and the changes he had seen while birdwatching in the area over time.

He also spoke about the book and how it came to be after undergoing an operation: "I was laid up for a long time it was quite frustrating because I couldn't go out bird watching which is of course my passion.

"So I thought what could I do with my time while I'm laid up and I thought, lets write a book.

"We actually won second place in the Best Bird Book of the Year 2018 award which was a nice surprise and we found out on New Year's Day so it was a good start to the year for us."

A total of 65 books were reviewed by award judges during the year with 34 of them making a shortlist.

Commenting on Rare and Scarce Birds of Cheshire & Wirral, the judges said: "This is a book that four of the six judges gave points to in the final reckoning, and it was highly regarded for being a particularly attractive example of the genre.

"Its layout and artwork in particular contribute to a beautifully produced little book that will be well-thumbed by local birders and visitors to the birding county of Cheshire and Wirral for many years to come."

The book is priced at £24.99 plus postage and packaging and can be bought by emailing rarebirdingwirral@gmail.com

It is also available at the RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands.