Red-throated Diver  
Fairly common winter visitor and spring passage migrant off the coast. Scarce on inland waters.

Black-throated Diver
Uncommon annual visitor, mostly on the coast but rare, occasional records inland.

Great Northern Diver
Scarce, less than annual, mostly on the coast. Again scarce on inland waters.

Pied-billed Grebe
Vagrant. One record at Dockacres in the spring of 1997.

Little Grebe
Uncommon but increasing breeding bird. Fairly common in winter.

Great Crested Grebe
Uncommon but increasing breeding bird. Common in winter offshore with concentrations in Morecambe Bay and the Mersey Estuary.

Red-necked Grebe
Scarce winter visitor.

Slavonian Grebe
Scarce winter visitor.

Black-necked Grebe
Scarce visitor, mostly in spring and autumn. Becoming far more regular in neighbouring counties with breeding populations not far away.

Fulmar
Fairly common on coasts in late summer and early autumn during onshore winds.

Soft-plumaged Petrel
Vagrant. One record in 1995 off Formby Point.

Cory's Shearwater
Vagrant. Three records: 1986 Rossall, 1991 Blackpool, 1993 Formby Point.

Sooty Shearwater
Rare autumn visitor. Only one record since 1993.

Manx Shearwater
Common offshore in late summer and autumn, especially during onshore winds.

Balearic Shearwater
Vagrant. One record in 1994 off Formby Point.

Little Shearwater
Vagrant. Two records, the latter being in 1992 at Seaforth.

European Storm-petrel
Uncommon offshore in late summer and autumn. Less than annual in occurance.

Leach's Storm-petrel
Fairly common offshore in variable numbers during September and October gales.

Gannet
Common summer and autumn visitor offshore in variable numbers. Scarce in winter.

Cormorant
Common and increasing on coasts and estuaries. Local but increasing inland.

Shag
Uncommon but probably increasing on coasts. Most records are of immature birds.

Bittern
Rare breeding bird at Leighton Moss. Scarce but probably increasing winter visitor elsewhere, especially Marton Mere, Blackpool.

American Bittern
Vagrant. Two records: one in 1845 and one at Marton Mere in 1991.

Little Bittern
Vagrant. Five records with the last one at Marton Mere in 1997.

Black-crowned Night Heron
Vagrant. Records into double figures with the latest one at Ribchester in 2002.

Squacco Heron
Vagrant. One record pre-1986.

Little Egret
Scarce but increasing visitor, mainly to coastal marshes in the summer months but occasionally over-wintering. Has attempted breeding recently.

Great White Egret
Vagrant. Two records: 2001 at Marshside and Mere Sands Wood, 2002 at Martin Mere WWT.

Grey Heron
Scarce breeding resident. Regular passage migrant and winter visitor.

Purple Heron
Vagrant. Twelve records with the last being at Leighton Moss in 1996.

Black Stork
Vagrant. Five records with the last one at Blea Tarn in 1995.

White Stork
Rare passage migrant. The true picture is being increasingly clouded by free-flying captive birds from the Harewood House estate in Yorkshire. Probably around 18 true records.

Glossy Ibis
Vagrant. Four records with two at Pilling in 1997 being the most recent.

Spoonbill
Scarce annual visitor in summer and autumn to coastal marshes. Increasing number of inland records. Has bred in 1999.