WELL, what an exciting month May was!

It certainly made up for the rather dreary start to spring and gave local birdwatchers plenty to enjoy thanks in part to prolonged easterly winds.

Dedicated seawatchers were rewarded with sightings of skuas and large
numbers of migrating terns from Heysham Harbour, the Stone Jetty and Jenny Brown's Point while those interested in breeding birds witnessed the return of marsh harriers and successful hatchings at the avocet colony at Leighton Moss.

Rarity hunters meanwhile enjoyed visits by black kite, osprey, pectoral
sandpiper and, of course, Heysham's much-trumpeted American white-
throated sparrow.

June is generally a little quieter with the majority of summer migrants and resident birds getting down to the business of raising young although the occasional oddity may still turn up.

Make sure you keep up to date with all the latest local bird news by logging on to www.lancasterbirdwatching.org.uk

It seems that barely a week goes by without some new product aimed at the ever-growing legion of birdwatchers is launched onto the
market and I have recently noticed the increased use of spotting 'scope
back-packs amongst the nation's birders.

Designed to remove the strain caused from carrying a 'scope and tripod on a shoulder strap, these cleverly-constructed accessories have been receiving critical praise and finding many fans.

I tend to cover quite large areas on foot when doing my birdwatching and often rack up a few miles so the idea of giving my shoulder a rest from the weight of a heavy telescope and tripod was rather
appealing.

I tried out the Scopac Lite – the latest in the range from the Norfolk company who design and manufacture the product. It took a bit of working out exactly how to set it all up but once it was on my back I felt liberated!

The 'scope is accessible and easily erected when needed yet sits comfortably on the back until required allowing both hands to be permanently free for handling binoculars, writing in notebooks and so on.

The only problem I found was when I was clambering over some rather tricky terrain and a minor slip caused the head of the tripod to hit the back of my head with a rather painful clunk, something that could cause quite a problem with those engaged in serious fieldwork. All in all, however, the Scopac really is revolutionary and will surely become the standard for 'scope-carrying birders for years to come and, to be honest, anything that stops the multitude of birdwatchers from wandering around with their tripod legs fully extended is very welcome indeed! Visit www.scopac.co.uk. for further information.

Finally, I'd like to say thanks to all those who came along for the Birding By Bike event on May 25. The weather was kind, the turn-out was great and we saw some interesting birds on the route to Glasson from Lancaster.

Special thanks to Rachel Scott from the city council who organised the event. Following the success of this trip we are looking at doing another in the autumn, keep your eyes out for details soon.