December 2000
A 'redhead' Smew was found on the Ouse near Bishopthorpe Bridge on the 31st while 4 Goosander were at Clifton Ings late in the month. A Common Buzzard was seen at Melbourne with a Kingfisher noted at Hassacarr Nature Reserve where a Waxwing was present on the 27th. Also on this date, 4 Waxwings were found in Rawcliffe - these being the start of a national influx. 200 Tree Sparrows were seen at Thornton while 30 were at Dunnington where a Blackcap was present on the 31st and other species noted there included 75 Skylarks, 50 Yellowhammers and 50 Corn Buntings. 200 Skylarks were also at Castle Howard on the 31st.

November 2000
The highlight of the month was undoubtedly a Storm Petrel which stopped off at Bank Island on the 1st before continuing north up the floods. The flooding also attracted large numbers of feeding Black-headed Gulls with 800+ present along the Ouse between York and Naburn. The long-staying Common Crane was present at Melbourne on the 6th. On the 20th, an influx of thrushes at Clifton Ings included 300+ Blackbirds and 40 Song Thrushes with a possible Siberian Chiffchaff also noted there. Large flocks of Golden Plover included 2500 at Bubwith and c. 2000 near Naburn sewage works while 6 Whooper Swans were seen flying over the Bubwith-North Duffield road. A Stonechat was reported from Ling Bottom near Sheriff Hutton during the month with 9 Goosanders noted at Castle Howard Lake on the 19th. Also on the 19th, a male Blackcap was seen at St Oswald's Hall, Fulford with another bird present in a garden in Dunnington on the 29th where 25 Siskins were also spotted.

October 2000
Raptors reported from the Lower Derwent Valley early in the month included 2 Honey Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Hen Harrier. A Stonechat at Wheldrake Ings on the 8th was one of an influx into Yorkshire in the month. The Common Crane remained until late in the month - mostly in the Sutton/Elvington area - before the floods forced it to move on. ( It now appears that there may have been up to 3 or 4 different birds in the valley during the summer). The first Siskins were also seen early in the month and Grey Wagtails were noted at Rawcliffe Lake and Clifton Ings. About 50 Fieldfare were at Bishopthorpe on the 31st and a possible Crossbill was seen in a Copmanthorpe garden.

September 2000
The Common Crane remained in the Lower Derwent Valley throughout the month while records from Dunnington included 3 Common Buzzards circling overhead on the 21st, a Hobby, a Long-eared Owl mobbed by a Carrion Crow and a Kingfisher - a scarce record for the Hassacarr Nature Reserve. A Honey Buzzard had been reported over Buttercrambe on the 24th - part of a national influx - and a flock of at least 40 Golden Plover was seen in fields adjacent to the bypass near Acomb. Highlights from Clifton Ings included a male Common Redstart on the 27th and 3 Bramblings on the 29th. 155 Lapwings were in a field by Naburn sewage works on the 9th and good numbers of Swallows and House Martins along the Ouse between York and Naburn on the 16th, with 30+ of the latter species still around nesting sites at Scarcroft Primary School on the 29th. 8 Chiffchaffs (4 singing) were along the Ouse between York and Naburn on the 16th when a juvenile Willow Warbler was at Fulford Ings. A juvenile Spotted Flycatcher was near Fulford Hall on the 9th when a Clouded Yellow butterfly was on Middlethorpe Ings.

August 2000
Four Green Sandpipers were seen on the main pool at Wheldrake Ings on the 3rd when the Club trip also had good views of a Barn Owl, while the Common Crane had been reported earlier, flying south. A Common Sandpiper was on the Ouse at Naburn on the 20th when 30+ Pied Wagtails were feeding in a stubble field by the sewage works. Late Swifts were seen at Fulford Ings and Rowntree Park on the 27th while a Hobby flew over the road just north of Strensall village on the 28th. The Common Crane was noted again at Wheldrake on the 31st, this time displaying to Greylag Geese! Also at this site on the 31st, 3 juvenile Black-tailed Godwits were seen on the main pool (breeding has been reported in the Lower Derwent Valley this year). A ‘fall’ of migrants in the last week included Cuckoo and Common Redstart while 40 Tree Sparrows had been seen at Escrick late in the month.

July 2000
A Reed Warbler and 6 Reed Buntings were singing at Fulford Ings on the 1st while a family party of Spotted Flycatchers was at Bishopthorpe Crematorium on the 29th when 1-2 Marsh Tits were at Naburn sewage works. Quail were reported as possibly breeding at Dunnington.

June 2000
A Common Crane was reported circling over the Knavesmire, York on the 16th before heading off south along the course of the Ouse. This was presumably the bird which settled down in the Lower Derwent Valley for the next three months at least. A Coot was feeding 3 young on the Foss in York on the 16th. 3 Oystercatchers were in the Naburn sewage works area on the 10th while a Snipe was ‘drumming’ over Heslington Tilmire on the 24th. An Arctic Tern was an unexpected sighting in a flock of roosting Black-headed Gulls next to floodwater near Terry’s chocolate factory, York on the 18th. A Turtle Dove had been heard near Bishopthorpe on the 10th and a male Nightjar seen and heard at Skipwith Common on the 18th. At least 6 Reed Buntings were singing at Fulford Ings on the 17th and at least 5 Corn Buntings seen on farmland near Bishopthorpe on the 18th.    

May 2000
Two Wheatears were in Wiggington on the 1st when Garden Warblers were singing along York city walls and in Fulford. Also on the 1st, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers was on Middlethorpe Ings and a pair of Mistle Thrushes with 2 fledged young on St Georges Field, York. A Little Gull and a ‘Commic’ Tern were at Bank Island early in the month and a Common Buzzard was twice seen over Strensall. A male Montagu’s Harrier was reported between Cawood and Stillingfleet on the 17th. Several records were received of White Stork but these may have been free-flying birds from Harewood Bird Garden. A small flock of at least 8 Fieldfares was still in the Wiggington Road area on the 10th. A Great Crested Grebe was on the Ouse at the Millennium Bridge site from the 6th-13th where a Little Grebe was also seen on the 10th. A Water Rail was heard at Fulford Ings on the 13th and a Common Sandpiper was at Bishopthorpe Bridge on the 10th. Unusual inland, a Kittiwake was on the towpath of the Ouse opposite Rowntree Park on the 13th while a Turtle Dove was heard on the edge of Fulford Golf Course on the 20th. Cuckoos were noted in several York parishes and a Green Woodpecker was at Bishopthorpe Crematorium on the 10th. Singing warblers at Fulford Ings included up to 14 Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler on the 4th, up to 12 Whitethroats, up to 5 Blackcaps and up to 12 Willow Warblers. A Spotted Flycatcher was singing at Bishopthorpe Palace on  the 14th with 2 Corn Buntings singing near Bishopthorpe the same day.

April 2000
Two Red Kites were reported near Stamford Bridge on the 1st while 2 Wheatears were on Dunnington Common on the 7th as well as a Swallow. 140 Black-tailed Godwits were behind Aughton church on the 24th - a record number. A Cuckoo was heard by Rawcliffe Lake on the 15th while a Yellow Wagtail was near Skelton on the 29th with 3 located in the Bishopthorpe/Fulford parishes on the 24th. A Blackcap had been heard singing in Leeman Road, York - also on the 24th - with 10 counted in the Fulford area the same day. A pair of Lesser Whitethroats was on Fulford Ings on the 22nd with 3 males singing there by 1st May. 16 Willow Warblers were singing in the same area on 24th April and a Common Buzzard was seen on the 17th in Bishopthorpe where a Nuthatch had been seen. On Strensall Common, 3 Snipe, 20 Fieldfares, 13 Chiffchaffs and 7 Willow Warblers were counted on the 9th. 29 Tree Sparrows were seen near the sewage works and other colonies noted. Tree Sparrows had also been located at 4 sites on farmland in the Bishopthorpe/Fulford parishes on the 24th. 2 pairs of Siskin were near the Strensall sewage works on the 9th with another pair seen near St Wilfreds church as well as 5 Redpoll and 3 Swallows on the common. 2 Swifts were at Bishopthorpe on the 27th with 2 at Naburn sewage works on the 29th where also 30+ Sand Martins and 20+ House Martins. 5 Whitethroats and 2 Sedge Warblers were singing at Fulford Ings on the 24th.

March 2000
A Red Kite flew west over Brandsby early in the month. The first Chiffchaff was singing at Fulford Ings on the 16th and birds were seen in several areas thereafter. 2 Sand Martins were seen along the Rawcliffe cycleway on the 25th with 3 or 4 by the nesting holes in the Ouse bank and one at Skelton on the 31st. The first Cuckoo was reported from Dunnington on the 29th - possibly a record. A Wheatear was on Strensall Common on the 31st. Along the Ouse between York and Bishopthorpe, 1-2 Great Crested Grebes, a male Teal on the 17th, up to 3 Goosander and 3 pairs of Kingfishers on territory. A Common Buzzard flew west over Fulford Ings on the 24th and up to 12 Snipe were present there with at least one Jack Snipe. 3 Oystercatchers and 2 Redshank were seen near Bishopthorpe Bridge. Two pairs of Coot were nesting in Rowntree Park where Redwings were heard subsinging. In the Lower Derwent Valley, 65 Pink-footed Geese and up to 150 Gadwall were present and an Iceland Gull was seen in the roost at Wheldrake Ings on the 22nd. Little Ringed Plovers arrived on the 23rd. A Green Woodpecker  was at Dunnington as well as 75 Corn Buntings on the 4th (normal passage). 100 Fieldfares were at Poppleton on the 31st. Also a Peacock butterfly was seen in a Micklegate garden on the 6th.

February 2000
3 pairs of Great Spotted Woodpeckers had been noted during warm weather at the start of the month. A flock of 3000 Goldfinches on Allerthorpe Common - thought to be mainly continental birds - was feeding on linseed. 15 Skylarks were noted at Bolton Percy and several Black-tailed Godwits were seen at North Duffield Ings. An active rookery, holding about 10 nests, was being established on the Mount, York with birds presumably feeding on the Racecourse. Records from Askham Bog included up to 4 Woodcock, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 5 each of Marsh and Willow Tit, 5+ Treecreepers and up to 200 Siskin. 18 Song Thrushes (12 singing) were counted along the Ouse between York and Bishopthorpe on the 26th while up to 6 Redwings were in Rowntree Park. 50 Skylarks, 250 Fieldfares and 5 Corn Buntings were seen on Clifton Ings at the end of the month. Other reports included 30 Corn Buntings at Sherburn-in-Elmet, at least 15 Bramblings in the car park at Wheldrake Ings, over 20 Tree Sparrows in Poppleton and a pair of Goosander on the lake in Sheriff Hutton Park.

January 2000
Reports from Rawcliffe Lake included 20 Siskin and 2 Redpolls on the 21st. A mixed flock of 300 Fieldfares and Redwings was on Clifton Ings and 3 Bean Geese as well as 4 Barnacle Geese at the new Park & Ride site. 70 Pintail and 20 Whooper Swans were seen at Hagg Bridge while at Askham Bog on the 22nd were a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Marsh Tits, 3 Willow Tits, 3 Jays, 200 Siskin and 10 Redpolls. A female Goosander was on the Ouse at the Millennium Bridge site from the 9th-27th and 12 were on the Foss on the 30th, with 15 at Newby on the 21st (when a Skylark was singing!). A Water Rail and a Kingfisher were seen at Fulford Ings while a mixed flock of 200 Fieldfares and Redwings was at Thornton Lodge Farm with 10 Yellowhammers and ‘over 30 in the area’. Castle Howard held 11 Cormorants, 230 Canada Geese and a large Starling roost. A Green Woodpecker was found dead on the tennis court in Bishopthorpe.