FEBRUARY was a rather quiet month for local birdwatchers with neither the high winds or the snow falls having an appreciable impact on the birds.

Pick of the sightings was a Water Pipit at Nosterfield, part of a significant influx of the species to England. Water Pipit had never been recorded locally at the time I wrote Birds of the Northallerton & Richmond Area but is now an annual, if uncommon, visitor.

Wildfowl were also on the move with good numbers of Pinkfooted Geese seen flying over the area, the best count was 300 birds over Nosterfield but sizeable skeins were also reported over Northallerton, Richmond and on the flooded fields at Ainderby Steeple. These floods also attracted Shelduck, Goosander, a sizeable flock of Curlew and Whooper Swan. The small wintering flock of Whoopers in the Kirby Fleetham area peaked at nine birds.

The bright and mild conditions at the month end led to some incredibly early arrivals into the country with more than a dozen sightings of Sand Martin in the south-west, Wheatears in Yorkshire and Scotland, Little Ringed Plover in Hampshire and, most astonishing of all, a House Martin in Cornwall.

Our early spring sightings were not quite so spectacular although it was unusual to hear the beautiful song of the Blackcap in February, even more so that this was in L'Espec Street, Northallerton!

Otherwise that early indicator of Spring, the Oystercatcher, made its usual late February movement through the area which brought up to 50 birds to Thornton Steward reservoir and Bolton-on- Swale and a peak count of 107 at Nosterfield.

Other sightings of note during January and February included, in the Nosterfield area, Firecrest, Bean Goose, Knot and Water Rail.

At Bolton-on-Swale there was a drake Mandarin and a record count of 17 Gadwall. Forty Ruff were at Pallet Hill, a "northern"

Bullfinch was near Thrintoft and a Red-throated Diver was seen at Thornton Steward reservoir.

Looking ahead to March this should see the arrival of the first "real" summer migrants with Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover, Wheatear, Chiffchaff and Ring Ouzel all virtually guaranteed by the month end.

There is also a good chance of Swallow with March sightings in three of the last five years. March is traditionally the best month for catching up with Whooper Swans as they move back north to breeding areas. Any of the local waters can attract birds but the pool at Pepper Arden has been particularly good in recent years along with the traditional wintering site to the north-west of Kirby Fleetham.

March is also an excellent time to look for the scarcer gull species, Mediterranean, Iceland, Yellowlegged and Glaucous are all possible amongst the local gull roosts particularly if there is a late cold snap.

Finally, just another reminder about the British Trust for Ornithology's Bird Atlas Project which is now moving into the breeding birds phase. Any one can take part either through a timed visit to a particular area or just by ensuring any birds you see are entered on to the database.

Further information can be found on the BTO web site www.bto.org/birdatlas.