Black-tailed godwits: The striking birds which are making a comeback in Yorkshire
In the first half of July there are scarcely any birds migrating, heading north for the summer or south for the winter.
But by now the first signs of southward migration are becoming visible.
Waders that have nested in boggy forests in the far north or around pools on the tundra are beginning to be seen again in our region.
One of the most striking is the large elegant black-tailed godwit, many of which are still in their summer finery of rosy red head and neck, blacked barred breasts and long straight red bills with which to probe for invertebrates.
The vast majority of Black-taied godwits we see here are of the limosa sub species that breeds in Iceland and which are on their way to spend winter on estuaries in the UK and Ireland and also France and Portugal.
Globally the Black-tailed godwit is considered under threat with populations in Europe hit by loss of habitat and climate change, especially drought.
But the opposite is true here with, thanks to changes in agriculture in Iceland, a big increase in the numbers arriving each autumn.
Black-tailed godwits were once quite common breeders in East Anglia and parts of Yorkshire and also popular to eat. But they completely disappeared between 1855 and 1952 when a pair was discovered breeding on the Ouse Washes.
Since then efforts have been made to restore habitat for them and numbers have reached around 50 pairs a year,
But, with early spring rains flooding nests, drought drying out feeding ponds, and predation, productivity has remained low.
'Head starting' where eggs are collected, hatched and reared in captivity before being released into the wild is also being tried to boost numbers.
Other sightings in the region included two white-tailed eagles at Blakey Ridge on the North York Moors. Both are immature birds, released on the Isle of Wight as part of a reintroduction scheme.