APRIL had plenty of interest for local birders even if lacking in major rarities. Summer migrants continued to flood in, the first swallow I've heard of was at Nosterfield on the 6th and an early cuckoo was near Kirby Fleetham on the 9th.

A nice flock of 40 yellow wagtails dropped in to Bolton on Swale ahead of a thunderstorm on the 22nd and this flock included a fine male blue-headed wagtail (which is still present at the time of writing).

Warm southerly winds on the 26th brought large numbers of house martins to the area and on the following day there was a mass influx of swifts, a fortnight ahead of the usual arrival date.

Waders were also on the move with the outstanding nature reserve at Nosterfield proving particularly attractive, on one day no less than 15 species of wading bird were seen here including five turnstones, sanderling, bar-tailed godwit and an unprecedented flock of more than 100 black-tailed godwits. These may have been the birds reported at a site on the Lincolnshire coast earlier in the day.

Away from here, up to 15 ruff were seen at Pepper Arden, greenshank and black-tailed godwit at Catterick and whimbrel at Bolton on Swale.

Pick of the waders, though, was a group of four avocets seen on the superb shallow pools which border the A66 near Neasham. This latter site also attracted two little gulls, white wagtail and a (presumably escaped) cinnamon teal.

A male red-crested pochard toured the local waters through the month being seen at Cleasby, Pepper Arden and Bolton on Swale and what is presumably the same bird is currently on the Tees marshes.

Other birds of note in April included Iceland gull at Bolton on Swale and an osprey near Kepwick. At Nosterfield sightings included a white stork and a young marsh harrier, a flock of 22 Arctic tern and, most interesting of all, a water pipit. These pipits, which breed in the mountain regions of Europe, are regular if scarce visitors to Britain but this bird represents the first seen in this area.

Finally, some interesting, if belated, news from March when three cranes were seen in a field near Bagby. This was part of another marked influx of these magnificent birds to the British Isles. Only a single crane had been seen in this area up to last year but since then at least five, and perhaps as many as ten, birds have visited local sites.