OCTOBER’S highlight was the discovery of three bearded tits at the private nature reserve of Belflask, near West Tanfield. These striking birds have never been recorded in this area before and, though only present for a couple of days, were a fine addition to the local list.

With the expansion of reedbed habitat in this area, it’s just possible they may become regular visitors in the future, so worth keeping a look out for.

A Temminck’s stint at Lingham Lake, Nosterfield, was another great find, with only a handful of previous records of this tiny wader. A number of birders were lucky enough to see this bird in the company of three little stints. Some observers looking for the Temminck’s were also fortunate to find a pectoral sandpiper, yet another local record of this supposedly very scarce American species.

Other wader sightings of note in October included a grey plover and two green sandpipers at Thorpe Farm pools, and bar-tailed godwit at Bolton on Swale.

The early signs of winter came in the form of the first whooper swans, two at Nosterfield on the 17th, with possibly the same birds seen in flight over Masham golf course the next day.

Small numbers of pinkfooted geese also passed through, with skeins seen over Masham, Nosterfield, Thorp Farm and Richmond midmonth.

The first winter thrushes, redwings, arrived about the 11th, with the first fieldfares a few days later. But both species were still relatively scarce at the time of writing, despite a huge influx to the Yorkshire coast where one persistent (sad?) individual counted an amazing 13,955 fieldfares passing over.

Other sightings of note included a red kite being mobbed by gulls as it flew over Romanby Primary School, and a peregrine at Thorpe Farm. Swallows and house martins were both reported widely well into the month and there was an astonishing record of a swift over Castle Bolton on the 22nd.

This is the latest the species has ever been seen in this area.

Nationally, the big news in October was the appearance of an eastern crowned warbler in South Shields. This was the first record of the species in Britain.

This bird, closely related to our familiar willow warbler and chiffchaff, should have been sunning itself in Malaysia, but instead found itself under the admiring gaze of a few thousand birdwatchers in a disused quarry in North-East England.

It is one of the great pleasures, and occasional curses, of being known as a birdwatcher that you get calls from non-birdwatchers saying they’ve seen a rare bird.

This has led me on many a (literal) wild goose chase and this month it involved a possible roller that turned out to be only a jay.

Rollers, being bright blue and spectacular, seem particularly susceptible to misidentification and following up reports of these sightings in the past has led me not only to a number of jays, but also an escaped parrot and an escaped African starling.

But occasionally you do strike gold, such as the time a farmer rang me to say he had seen two big birds “crying like bairns” in his fields. These turned out to be a stunning pair of cranes in full display.

The motto is never assume the worst, so I am always keen to get your sightings; please feel free to email me on nick.morgan1@virgin.net.