The wind was lighter than forecast this morning, and so we were pleasantly surprised to be able to open the nets at the obs. Unfortunately, there were very few migrants; by the time the wind forced us to stop, we had only caught five birds. Two Willow Warblers were the highlight, with another trapped in the heligoland later in the day bringing the total birds ringed today to six - a Blackbird, a Great Tit, a Wren and three Willow Warblers.

Meanwhile, Stuart was beginning census for today at the South End. This also yielded little of note, though a flock of 61 Linnets bumbling around in the grass was a good count. The moth traps were later emptied at 10:30, and continued the theme of the day in being slightly disappointing; although a fresh Purple Bar, despite being common, was nice to see. 

The portable heligoland was set up in the courtyard in the late morning and repairs were carried out; hopefully it will soon be ready to be set on Solfach, where we target Rock Pipits for colour ringing. In the afternoon, a trip to the north west of the island to ring Manx Shearwater chicks brought smiles to our faces. Most chicks are now about 5 weeks old, and will be ready to fledge as we head into September.