I then spent a few days doing my sponsored walk from Carlisle to Borrowdale to raise money for our Romania expedition for Uni in May. Typical moorland birds were noted with a ringtail Hen Harrier being one of the highlights and a redhead Smew (13th) was a pleasant surprise on Derwent Water with a handful of Goldeneye. Bird of the month was found by the Cumbrian County Recorder on the 17th at Standing Tarn near Dalton-in-Furness but news wasn't released till too late in the day. However, the next morning the 1st-winter Laughing Gull was relocated nice and early, slightly to the NE of where it was previously seen with a feeding flock of about 500-odd Gulls. This was only the second Laughing Gull I have seen in Britain following the 1st for Hampshire during the famous influx of 2005 so understandably I was pretty keen to see another! I managed to get some very poor footage at the highest magnification I could get. The afternoon was spent near Raby Cotes and Border in the north of the county where I scanned tens of thousands of Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese for at least 3 hours for the rather smart looking blue morph Lesser Snow Goose that has been seen sporadically at various places in the area since January. The scattered mixed flocks made it surprisingly difficult to pick out the white-headed blue morph, but 9 Eurasian White-fronts were picked out and a Merlin sat on a mound. Andy Holden and Vicky Turner joined in on the search from a different viewpoint and no sooner had I answered the phone to Andy when the Snow Goose miraculously appeared in the centre of my scope flying in with a dozen Pinks, Vicky also managed to get onto it from where she was before it went down into a channel and out of view! The image was provided by Craig Shaw - taken earlier in the year.
The undoubted biggie of the month concerned a stunning Baillon's Crake on Great Saltee Island, Co. Wexford (Ireland). It was twitched extensively from across Ireland on its first day where it was ridiculously confiding and those who managed to get onto the island on the first day were treated to brilliant views. I attempted to see it on the first possible day from mainland Britain on 25th but as soon as we arrived on the island our hearts sunk. Realising the lack of suitable of habitat, clear sky, and the fact the mainland was still insight we knew immediately there was no way in hell the Crake would have stayed another night! A thorough search revealed no sign but some early migrants were very scant consolation (Short-eared Owl, Swallow, Sand Martin, Chiffs, Willow Warblers, White Wagtail, Sandwich Tern and Black Redstarts) and you could clearly see the potential this island has for attracting early spring overshoots!! This was my first big dip in a while.On the last day evening I was in Cumbria (28th) I went to an undisclosed site where at least 2 Long-eared Owls were displaying well. Once back in Hampshire on the last day of the month (31st) for Easter break I did the rounds at Needs Ore with Lee Fuller with nothing really out the ordinary, then onto the wintering Rose-coloured Starling at Hordle where this bird showed frustrating well but constantly deep inside a bush where photographic opportunities were limited somewhat.
On the 5th, we woke to a 10cm carpet of snow. Once we had got the car out we headed in the direction of Holkham, stopping occasionally for Grey Partridge and Barn Owls. The latter was even more rewarding when a 1st winter Rough-legged Buzzard flew over with 2 Buzzards in the same vicinity just to the west of Holkham freshmarsh. Once at Holkham we (well, Cain) located 2 Shorelarks which showed very well on the 'white' beach. A good mixed flock of Skylarks and Snow Buntings also contained Twite, a ringtail Hen Harrier also passed overhead. We spent the remainder of the day at Titchwell where the Cous's Arctic Redpoll drove me insane as it took about 3 hours to find - eventually picking it out at the back of a clump of dense trees with Lesser Redpolls. Coincidentally my only previous Exillipes was at Titchwell too way back in 2004. Also of interest were 2 Hen Harriers (male and female), Mediterranean Gull, Long-tailed Ducks (4, inc. 1 drk) & Velvet Scoter (2, 1 drk). 
For the next 2 weeks I birded locally around Carlisle and Sheffield (whilst visiting Emma) with very little of note. I completed a few assignments early so that I could go home on the 16th for about 10 days. Heading south late afternoon I got caught in a stand-still for about 2 hours when I heard the long-awaited, yet dreaded sound of the mega alert. I was seriously praying it wasn't north of where I had just come from, so massively relieved when it read Gwent Common Yellowthroat!! The stand-still was a blessing in disguise and allowed me to phone around trying to find extra information and arrange things for the following day. Instead of driving to Southampton, I went to Bristol where I kipped around Dan Pointon's place - ready for a dawn assault on Rhiwderyn. It took till about 08:30 before the bird made its first appearance, brief but good views were had as the stampeding ground initially hassled it but once things had calmed down the bird fed in the open in the field fringes continually for about 15 minutes. Typically striking yank warbler - olive-green above, with its bright yellow throat and vent contrasting massively with a black mask stretching across the ear coverts! Fantastic surprise to the month!!
Once home for Christmas (20th) I then had plenty of time on my hands so spent the rest of the month loyal to my home county (Hants) cleared up on a few decent local scarcities that had been knocking around a while. First of which was the Cattle Egret at Warblington (21st), Red-necked Grebe flying out of Chichester Harbour and Purple Sandpiper at Southsea Castle (both 24th). Between the 27th and 31st I visited the Pennington area, Blashford Lakes and Beaulieu Road Station multiple times recceing in preperation for the New Years Day bird race. Highlights included Marsh Harrier, Bewick's Swan, Egyptian Goose, Smew, Yellow-legged Gull, Hen Harrier, Goshawk, Dartford Warbler and Hawfinch. Undoubtedly the most unexpected bird was an adult drake Ferruginous Duck on Spinnaker Lake (Blashford) that showed well amongst Pochard on the last day of the year and was infact a county tick for myself. 
Almost the last report of the 2011 was of a Dark-eyed Junco in the New Forest, photographed by a non-birder who had sent a photo to the county recorder to identify. It has been there for at least 7 days so fingers crossed this is relocated in the New Year!!
Whilst at work on the 12th, I got a jumbled message of a Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland. I was in two minds as what to do to with this one, but as it turned out my boss realised that I wanted to be somewhere else - so let me leave. However by this stage the bird hadn't been seen for a fair few hours, so likelihood of connecting was looking very remote. I stopped off at Cresswell Ponds - no sign of it there, and as I made my way to East Chevington (where the bird was seen in the morning) in the hope it would come into roost. But instead it was refound further north at Hauxley NR, unfortunately on arrival I ran to the wrong side of the reserve where the bird could not be viewed and so frustratingly missed the bird.
After spending about 5 hours watching the Greaterlegs; I decided to move on and attempt to find East Chevington. Just before I got there a drake Green-winged Teal was found and was still on view on arrival though very elusive at range. Heading back home I also pulled into Marden Quarry to pay the female type Lesser Scaup (of dubious origin) a visit.
Whilst out filming with my expedition group (14th), I jammed into this Great-white Egret at Campfield Marsh (Cumbria) on the saltmarsh pool. We also found a flock of about 100,000 Starlings, and on another night several hundred thousands of Starlings were at Gretna Services. Quite a spectacle on a clear evening.
For the past week, I have been incredibly tempted to venture down to Kent for an Eastern Black Redstart - a stunning male that has also been incredibly approachable. I couldn't quite justify the cost and mileage but when this bird was found on Holy Island (Northumberland) I just had to see it. So on the 20th, Myself, Tristan Reid, his daughter Shannon, and Pete Birkett hit the East Coast. As a safe crossing over the causeway couldn't be made till midday we tried to relocate the Greater Yellowlegs that was still kicking around. Unfortunately it couldn't be found at East Chevington, but I managed to pick out a Tundra Bean Goose amongst 200 odd White-fronted Geese on the North Pool and 3 otters were good value. Stunning views were obtained of a male Hen Harrier as we drove through West Chevington which literally flew metres above our car!! Once we got onto Holy Island we instantly connected with the Eastern Black Redstart, which performed wonderfully for a small gathered crowd as it worked the rocky shoreline for flies.
The final couple of hours of the day were spent at Cresswell Pond where we finally caught up with the Greater Yellowlegs, not showing as well as it did earlier in the month. It was certainly far more active and unsettled as this leggy bird sprinted from side to side along the reedy fringes of the pond.
Mid-month and the hurricane season in the States was in full swing, so surely a series of low depressions whipping across the Atlantic were going to bring something. First of all was Greater Yellowlegs in Cornwall (13th) that was dipped my minutes - a Sabine's Gull was a minor consolation
The following Saturday Dan Houghton and I were heading to the west country again when a Northern Waterthrush broke on the Scillies. Unfortunately due to the flight/boat timetables we were unable to day trip and would have to stay until Monday which Dan couldn't do due to work. It was tense times as a Black-and-White Warbler had just been found in the same place. We needed both!! We popped into Drift Reservoir to discuss matters where Dan managed to wangle things with his supervisor and so we were all set to go, but not without seeing the Lesser Yellowlegs first! Flying was the only remaining option so within the hour we were on St. Mary's. It took a couple of hours to locate the 1w female Black-and-White Warbler which fed continuously in sallows. However the Northern Waterthrush was alot more elsuive in thick cover but luckily I managed a brief view at dusk on a small secluded pool but Dan missed it!!
Day 3 drew a total blank with the Waterthrush although it was still knocking about, but gave even better views of the Black-and-White Warbler. A Red-eyed Vireo re-appeared at Lower Platform and a Woodchat Shrike was a late addition to the trip list!!
The following day (20th) I dashed across the border to Burpham, West Sussex for an obliging juv Pallid Harrier which was my third lifer that week. My fourth came very quickly afterwards with another visit to the Scillies (21st) for a 1w female Baltimore Oriole at Mourning Point, St. Mary's. And a night time dash across to Weir Wood Reservoir, East Sussex followed only to dip the cock-up that was the Long-toed Stint. The bird has only been wrongly IDed as a Temminck's Stint for 7 days!
I had to go back up to University in Cumbria on the 25th which co-incided with the long drive to Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire for the adult Sandhill Crane which took temporary residence. Despite many quality birds this year - this is my best, never did I think I'd get another shot at this so soon after the 2009 bird on Orkey. Chuffed to nuts!! The adult Black Scoter off Blackdog completed the set for Scoter in Britain and Ireland this year.