SEPTEMBER was an interesting month for local birdwatchers, even if no outstanding rarities turned up.

As expected there were good numbers of waders on the move, pick of the bunch was a Pectoral Sandpiper which was present for a couple of days at Nosterfield. This scarce American wader is now virtually an annual visitor to this area with September the best month to catch up with them.

Other wader sightings of note included good numbers of Curlew Sandpipers with birds seen at four different sites and a peak count of 15 birds at Nosterfield. This site also attracted Spotted Redshank, up to fifteen Greenshank, three Little Stints and a Grey Plover.

Away from here Bolton-on-Swale pulled in up to a dozen Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and Green Sandpiper.

Birds of prey were also on the move although for the first September for many years I received no reports of Osprey. Pick of the sightings was a Honey Buzzard seen flying along the ridge above the Cotcliffe valley but there were also a number of reports of Peregrine well away from their breeding sites, a Marsh Harrier was seen near Marne Barracks and a single Hobby was at Nosterfield.

Summer visitors remained in good numbers throughout the month with hirundines (the swallows and martins) in particular still widespread through to early October. This meant an overlap with the arrival of the first winter visitors with Pinkfooted Geese over-flying the area towards the end of the month.

There was a particular strong movement on the 22nd when up to eighty were in the Nosterfield area and good numbers joined a large Greylag flock near Carlton Miniott. The first Fieldfare was seen at Nosterfield on 24th September and small numbers of Redwings dropped in to Ainderby Steeple on 29th.

Less obvious winter visitors are the gatherings of larks and Pipits which start to be seen in the fields at this time of year. Some will probably be local breeders but others will be birds moving off the high moors to more conducive winter quarters.

As an example, up to 90 meadow pipits were in a single field near Thrintoft on the 23rd when there had been none the previous day. Other sightings of note included two Black-necked Grebes at Nosterfield where an Arctic Skua made a brief visit on the 6th and a Scaup was also seen.

In the next few weeks, an exciting new project is starting up aimed at mapping the distribution and abundance of birds across the whole country. Organised by the British Trust for Ornithology, the Bird Atlas survey covers both the winter period and the breeding season over the next four years.

All birdwatchers can help, even if you have only a small amount of time available. You can either do a timed count at an agreed location or simply submit information about birds seen at any time of the day anywhere in the country.

Full details on the survey and the name of your local organiser can be found on www.birdatlas.net or by contacting the Atlas Co-ordinator, BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU. Tel.01842 750050.