OCTOBER’S highlight was undoubtedly the drake Canvasback which was found on Lingham Lakes, Nosterfield.

This American duck was first recorded in Britain as recently as 1996 and of only eight subsequent sightings this is the first for Yorkshire.

In appearance they are similar to our familiar Pochard but larger with a distinctive head shape and an all-dark bill. The bird was first reported on the late afternoon of the 30th and very few birders managed to make it to the reserve before dark. Early the next morning I joined a large group of expectant birdwatchers waiting for sufficient light to locate the bird on the small pond near the quarry workings.

Unfortunately it had gone and it was a disconsolate band of birders that trudged back to their cars in the driving sleet. Missing this bird (or “dipping out” in the arcane language of birdwatching) was particularly galling as I had been at Nosterfield earlier in the day and hadn’t bothered to check this pool. All part of life’s rich tapestry as my wife would say.

Other wildfowl records of note included two Egyptian Geese and up to eight Whooper Swans at Newsham Ponds, a drake Mandarin at Ellerton-on-Swale and, at Nosterfield, a flock of 18 Barnacle Geese, Ruddy Shelduck, Red-breasted Merganser and an excellent count of 68 Shoveler. A large skein of Pinkfooted Geese flew south over Morton-no- Swale with 98 also seen in flight over Nosterfield and a further 40 reported flying north-west over Northallerton business park.

Waders were also on the move.

Nosterfield attracted up to three Curlew Sandpipers, two Little Stint, Black-tailed Godwit and Spotted Redshank whilst both Knot and Sanderling were seen at Scorton.

After the striking movements of Honey Buzzards and geese in September it was Redwings that provided the spectacle in October.

Huge numbers of this lovely winter thrush arrived on northeastern coasts on the 17th with over 10,000 passing through Spurn Point alone. The next day large numbers had filtered into this area and I received widespread reports of flocks of anywhere from a dozen to several hundred. An hour’s count at Ainderby Steeple recorded over 600 birds and I noted around a thousand birds on a trip between Northallerton and Richmond as well as a gathering of some 500 in the fields around Whitcliffe Woods.

I mentioned an increase in Barn Owl sightings last month and this continued with reports of birds near South Otterington and Hutton Magna and two seen at Nosterfield.

Other sightings of note in October included Gannet, Rock Pipit, Yellow-legged Gull, Water Rail, Merlin, Peregrine and Goshawk all at Nosterfield, a late Hobby from a train between Northallerton and Thirsk stations, a Merlin at Ainderby Steeple and a longstaying Slavonian Grebe at Newsham Ponds.

Finally, looking ahead to November, it may be worth keeping an eye out for Waxwings. There have been a number of reports from the Yorkshire coast and they should start to move inland over the next few days. This charismatic species, looking like a pinkish “starling” with a dark bandit mask, feeds on berries so any area of cotoneaster or similar can attract them. Breeding in the far north they have little fear of people and are as likely to be seen in supermarket car-parks, gardens and town centres as open country.