THE pair of cranes reported last month were still present in the area through most of August. One observer was even more fortunate as, after much searching, he found the cranes but then watched as they were joined by two spoonbills, another exceptionally rare visitor to this area from Europe.

I haven't received any reports of the cranes in the last week of August so it is possible they have now gone and it may be no coincidence that two cranes were reported flying south over Lincolnshire at about the time they were last reported here.

The really interesting time will be next spring to see if they return, for cranes often pair up and hold territory the year before they begin breeding.

One of the notable ornithological highlights of August was a large influx of crossbills to Britain. These handsome finches, the males a bright red and the females green, periodically disperse from their normal areas in what are known as "irruptions". These are thought to be due to failure of the cone crop in their native areas and forces huge numbers of birds to seek out new feeding areas.

There are reports of thousands on the move through Sweden. Good numbers have already been reported along the Yorkshire coast and locally a flock of 30 was seen near Osmotherley and small numbers have been reported from Over Silton forest. Anywhere with pine trees is worth keeping an eye out for this charismatic species but they are most easily located by their call, a loud metallic "glip" which is quite distinctive.

Even more exciting for birdwatchers is the possibility of finding one of their rarer cousins, the parrot crossbill or the very rare two-barred crossbill as both of these have been seen among a flock of common crossbills in Sweden.

In the last major irruption some years ago a small flock of parrot crossbills was seen at Over Silton so there is a real chance of them turning up again.

Waders were also on the move through August, the best find, mentioned last month, was a superb grey phalarope at Nosterfield and it was this site which attracted the best counts of other species. These included four knot, wood sandpiper, curlew sandpiper and up to 22 greenshank.

Away from Nosterfield, floodwater at Ainderby Steeple pulled in two greenshank and eight whimbrel and there were double-figure counts of greenshank and black-tailed godwit near East Cowton.

Finally, hobbies were reported again from Bolton on Swale and Nosterfield and the latter site also attracted garganey, three red-crested pochards and three common scoter