A good year for birds of prey and gulls

The first winter period will probably be remembered for sightings of birds of prey. Prominent among these was a huge raptor seen over Aiskew in February which can surely only have been the white-tailed eagle which had been reported at Gouthwaite reservoir the day before.

There were also no less than three reports of gyr falcon (at Nosterfield, Osmotherley and near Croft on Tees). This stunning Arctic falcon had never been recorded in this area before. Just as intriguing, but staying frustratingly unidentified, was a very large all-dark falcon seen over the A684 between Ainderby Steeple and Northallerton.

The dedicated gull watchers also turned up some good finds with at least four different Iceland gulls, a number of yellow-legged and three Mediterranean gulls seen in the roosts at Nosterfield and Bolton on Swale.

Other winter sightings of note included two red-throated divers and four knot at Nosterfield, good numbers of crossbills in Silton Forest, a male hen harrier near Spennithorne and a black-necked grebe on floodwater at Ainderby Steeple.

As we moved into March, the first summer migrants continued the recent pattern of earlier arrival with sightings of wheatear and sand martin by mid-month.

Little ringed plover, chiffchaff and ring ouzel were all present by the month end as were swallows with a bird seen on the 31st. This is the second year in succession that swallows have been seen in March.

The spring was an outstanding period for local birdwatchers with both penduline tit and Arctic redpoll seen at the small Drinkfield Marsh nature reserve in Darlington, three reported sightings of black kite in the area, a well-watched long-billed dowitcher at Nosterfield and a superb supporting cast of scarce visitors which included spoonbill, two black-necked grebes, at least five different blue-headed wagtails, a water pipit and the area's first sightings of roseate tern (with four birds in the Nosterfield area).

If this wasn't enough, there was also a good passage of little gulls and terns through the local waters, rock pipits were seen for the fifth April in succession at Lingham Lake, ospreys were at four sites and there were half a dozen reports of red kite.

The breeding season unfortunately again gave cause for concern, many of the regular summer migrants were here in much lower numbers and some species seemed particularly scarce this year.

The only bright note was the area's first confirmed successful breeding of garganey.

Scarcer summer sightings included marsh harrier, a young raven at Bolton on Swale, hobbies at four different sites and a fine avocet at Nosterfield.

Moving into autumn, the most intriguing find was the white pelican seen briefly at Nosterfield in September. This was probably the bird seen at various sites in southern England earlier in the year and which later moved up to Tayside. Although its origins are uncertain, it was widely assumed to be an escape from captivity.

Similarly of unconfirmed origin was a yellow-ringed white stork which was seen at various sites having been tracked moving north up through the country.

Birds of prey also featured well with no less that eight species seen at Nosterfield on September 9, on which date a hobby was also at Ainderby Steeple, osprey at Great Langton and merlin near Thrintoft.

Autumn wader passage was fairly light but as well as sightings of wood sandpiper, little stint, turnstone, jack snipe and curlew sandpiper, the second American wader of the year was seen at Nosterfield with a white-rumped sandpiper there. Other interesting autumn records included three little egrets and red-breasted merganser at Nosterfield and water rail at Pepper Arden.

The second winter period so far has been rather quiet but the local greylag flocks have attracted Egyptian, bean, barnacle and white-fronted geese and a smew was seen at Nosterfield.

Finally can I wish all my readers a very happy, and bird-filled, new year.